Devils Lake Fishing near Hayward, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Devils Lake is set in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 1,168 feet. The water covers some 26 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 1.0 miles keeps the choices simple. For a base, Hayward sits 7.5 miles out. Little Round Lake lies 10 miles off, Spooner another 17 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Devils Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Sawyer County, recorded fish include walleye, brown trout and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Devils Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 68°F and January near 9°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Devils Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. King Lake sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Devils Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.