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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
191-acre reservoir in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 17 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Hayward Lake draws 191 acres inside 6.5 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 98% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.5 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. The water lies in Sawyer County. For a second option, Indian School Lake lies 2 mi north.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 4 to 17 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 17 ft covers summer, 3 to 17 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 8 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 17 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring walleye on Hayward Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 8 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 17 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 17 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Hayward Lake also holds largemouth bass (5 to 17 ft in summer), crappie (5 to 17 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 14 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR - Boat Access Sites, Shore Fishing Sites, and DNR Parking Lots. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Hayward Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Hayward Lake is about 17 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Hayward Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Hayward Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Indian School Lake 2 mi · Phipps Lake 3 mi · Little Spring Lake 3 mi · Little Round Lake 3 mi · Spring Lake 3 mi · Smith Lake 4 mi · Petty Lake 4 mi · Adina Lake 4 mi · Williams Lake 4 mi · Island Lake 4 mi · Phipps Flowage 5 mi · Colbroth Lake 5 mi
See how Hayward Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Sawyer County fishing maps (184 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.