Hay Lake Fishing Guide, Chippewa County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Out in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, sits Hay Lake. It sits in lake country bush country. At roughly 7 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Chippewa County. The nearest town is Cornell, 8.9 miles away. Saint Paul sits 88 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Hay Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Chippewa County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Hay Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 69°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Hay Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Silver Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. For Hay Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.