Loon Lake Fishing near Hayward, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Washburn County entry here is Loon Lake, in Wisconsin. The setting is lake country bush. At 20 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Washburn County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Hayward, 5.7 miles away. The nearest city of size is Saint Paul, 102 miles away. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Loon Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 68°F and January about 9°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Loon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Beaver Lake is 0.6 miles distant. For Loon Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.