Big Musky Resort
Hayward
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The Chippewa Flowage east of Hayward is the largest water in Sawyer County's lake country: the Wisconsin DNR lists it at 14,593 acres and 92 feet deep. Lac Courte Oreilles (5,139 acres), Round Lake (3,294 acres) and Grindstone Lake (3,176 acres) lie south and east of town, with Nelson Lake to the north.
The Wisconsin record muskie, 69 lb 11 oz, came out of the Chippewa Flowage on October 20, 1949, and most guides here fish for muskie. Walleye, bass, northern pike and panfish fill the other trips, and several guides fish through the ice in winter.
I. The lodges
Where to stay
Most Flowage and Round Lake resorts rent cabins by the week in summer. Tiger Musky, Angler's Haven, Cresthill, Northland Lodge, Sisko's, Mystic Moose and Fawn Cove publish 2026 rates.
26 places to stay
Chippewa Flowage
Most of the area's resorts are on the Flowage, the reservoir on the Chippewa River east of Hayward. Resorts on the Hayward side are off County Roads B and CC and Highway 77; others are reached from Couderay and Winter on the south and east sides.
Chief Lake Lodge
Hayward
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Chippewa Pines Resort
Couderay
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Chippewa Shores Resort
Hayward
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Daggett's Resort & Campground
Hayward
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Deer Run Resort
Hayward
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Deerfoot Lodge & Resort
Hayward
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Dun Rovin Resort
Hayward
From $900–$2,000 / week · year not stated
Fawn Cove Suites
Hayward
From $735–$795 / week · 2026
Golden Fawn Lodge
Hayward
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Golden View Resort
Hayward
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Indian Trail Resort
Couderay
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Johnson's Resort
Hayward
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Lake Chippewa Campground
Hayward
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Musky Joe's Twin Pines Resort
Hayward
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Musky Tale Resort & RV Park
Hayward
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Oak Shores Resort
Hayward
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Pat's Landing Resort
Hayward
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R & R Bayview Resort
Hayward
From $140–$220 / night · year not stated
Shady Nook Resort
Couderay
From $850–$1,350 / week · year not stated
Sisko's Pine Point Resort & Campground
Hayward
From $179–$325 / night · 2026
Spooky Bay Resort
Couderay
From $85–$150 / night · year not stated
The Landing Resort
Hayward
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Tiger Musky Resort
Couderay
From $1,525–$2,925 / week · 2026
Treeland Farm RV Resort
Hayward
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Treeland Resorts
Hayward
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14 places to stay
Round Lake & the Spider lakes
Round Lake, the Spider chain, Ghost, Lost Land, Teal and Moose lakes and the Tiger Cat chain, off Highway 77 north-east of Hayward toward the Chequamegon National Forest.
5RK Ranch Lakeside
Hayward
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Boulder Lodge on Ghost Lake
Hayward
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Braune's Cabins
Hayward
From $950–$1,200 / week · year not stated
Cresthill Resort
Hayward
From $850 / week · 2026
Ghost Lake Lodge
Hayward
From $240–$330 / night · year not stated
Golden Rule Resort
Hayward
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Grand Pines Resort & Motel
Hayward
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Kiefers Pine Grove Resort
Hayward
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Mystic Moose Resort
Hayward
From $215–$285 / night · 2026
Northland Lodge
Hayward
From $1,010–$2,860 / week · 2026
Reel Livin' Resort & Campground
Hayward
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The Retreat at Lost Land Lake
Hayward
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Timber Trail Lodge
Hayward
From $2,200 / week · year not stated
Virgin Timber Resort
Hayward
From $135–$295 / night · year not stated
3 places to stay
Lac Courte Oreilles & Grindstone
The clear lakes south-east of Hayward. Few resorts here publish their own pages; these are the ones we could confirm.
Angler's Haven Resort
Hayward
From $2,200–$2,500 / week · 2026
Callahan Lake Resort & Campground
Hayward
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Trails End Resort
Hayward
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14 places to stay
Hayward & Nelson Lake
Hotels and motels in Hayward, plus the cabin resorts and campgrounds on Nelson Lake north of town.
AmericInn Hayward
Hayward
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Chip-Wa Lodging
Hayward
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DJ's Dockside Resort (Nelson Lake Landing)
Hayward
From $25–$200 / night (from) · year not stated
Flat Creek Lodge
Hayward
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Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hayward
Hayward
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Nature Calls Campground & RV Resort
Hayward
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Nelson Lake Lodge & Campground
Hayward
From $175–$275 / night · year not stated
Northwoods Motel
Hayward
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Park Island Resort
Hayward
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Reiske's Island View Resort
Hayward
From $7,500 / season (May 1 to Oct 1, 2-bedroom) · year not stated
Revelle's Resort & Campground
Hayward
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Sunrise Bay Campground & RV Park
Hayward
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Tall Pines Resort
Hayward
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The Nelson Resort
Hayward
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II. On the water
What a guided day costs
| Boat | Full day | Typical | Half day | Typical | Operators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guide boat, 1–2 anglers | $500 | $500 | $350 | $350 | 3 |
"Typical" is the median of published rates. Most operators don't put a year on their rates.
Independent guides
Lodges that run their own guides are listed with the lodges above.
| Guide | Full day | Half day | Boat | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Roehl's Guide ServiceHayward | $500 | $350 | Guide boat, 1–2 anglers | walleye, muskie |
| Dan Palmer's Guide ServiceHayward | Call | – | all species | |
| Eric Schuelke Fishing (Chippewa Flowage guide)Hayward | Call | – | walleye, crappie | |
| Fish Crazed Guiding (Jonny Gettle)Hayward | Call | – | panfish, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskie | |
| Hayward Fly Fishing Company (guide trips)Hayward | Call | – | muskie, smallmouth bass | |
| Hayward Guide ServiceHayward | $500 | $350 | Guide boat, 1–2 anglers | walleye, crappie, muskie, bass |
| Hayward Musky Fishing (Richards Guide Service)Hayward | $450 | $300 | muskie, walleye | |
| Jim Leahy Guide Service (Hayward Area Guide Service)Hayward | $500 | $350 | Guide boat, 1–2 anglers | walleye, muskie, crappie, smallmouth bass, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill |
| Mike Best GuidingCable | Call | – | walleye, muskie, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, panfish | |
| Noah Glitto GuidingHayward | Call | – | bass | |
| Northwoods FlyfisherHayward | $450 | $350 | muskie, smallmouth bass, bluegill | |
| Sandy Point Guide Service (Terry Herder)Radisson | $475 | $350 | muskie | |
| Sorensen Outdoors (Kyle Sorensen)Hayward | Call | – | muskie, walleye, bass, smallmouth bass | |
| Tom Leahy's Guide ServiceHayward | $500 | $350 | walleye, muskie, crappie, panfish, perch, northern pike, bass | |
| Wisconsin Northland Outdoors Guide Service (John Myhre)Hayward | Call | – | muskie, bass, walleye, panfish |
III. Hard water
Ice fishing: day houses and sleepers
Tom Leahy runs guided ice trips with shacks, Mike Best rents heated shacks by the day, and Big Fish Encounters rents sleeper houses in Hayward with prices shown only at checkout. None of them puts a year on its rates.
| Outfitter | Day house | Sleeper | How you get out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Fish Encounters (Yetti Fish House Sleeper Rentals)Hayward | – | not published on page; booking calendar only | tracked Ranger UTV shuttle |
| Mike Best GuidingCable | $250/day 4-person hard cover heated; $200/day 2-person soft cover heated; $500/10 hrs new heated shack; footer 2025 | – | snowmobile add-on $100 |
| Tom Leahy's Guide ServiceHayward | Guided ice package incl. portable/hard shacks: $325 half day (4-5 hrs), $450 full day (8 hrs), 1-2 people, +$50 each extra; undated | – | transportation to fishing spot provided (type not stated) |
IV. The almanac
Seasons at a glance
- May 2, 2026Walleye, northern pike, muskie and largemouth bass seasons open.
- June 20, 2026Smallmouth bass may be kept in the Northern Bass Zone.
- November 30, 2026Walleye season closes on the Chippewa Flowage.
- December 31, 2026Muskie season closes.
- March 7, 2027Walleye, northern pike and bass seasons close on other lakes.
- March 14, 2027After this Sunday, ice shelters must come off the ice daily when not in use.
Fishing dates are from the Wisconsin DNR's 2026–2027 hook-and-line regulations.
V. Regulations
Fishing rules
2026–27 season (May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027)
- Sawyer County is in the Ceded Territory. Walleye, sauger and hybrids: May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027; 3 a day, 15 to under 20 inches, and one may be over 24 inches, unless a lake rule below says otherwise.
- Chippewa Flowage (Lake Chippewa, the West Fork up to Moose Lake Dam, and its named side lakes): walleye season May 2 – November 30; 3 walleye a day from the Flowage and the Chippewa River below it combined; 10 northern pike of any length; muskie 50-inch minimum; largemouth of any length, smallmouth 14-inch minimum; 10 panfish.
- Lac Courte Oreilles chain (with Little Lac Courte Oreilles and Billy Boy Flowage): 10 northern pike of any length chainwide; muskie 50-inch minimum; largemouth of any length; 1 smallmouth, 18-inch minimum.
- Grindstone Lake: only walleye under 14 inches may be kept, except one over 18 inches; muskie 50-inch minimum; largemouth of any length; 1 smallmouth, 18-inch minimum.
- Round and Little Round lakes: 25 panfish, but only 5 black crappie; largemouth of any length; 1 smallmouth, 18-inch minimum.
- Spider Lake chain (Big Spider, Little Spider, Clear, Fawn and North lakes): 10 northern pike of any length chainwide; bass of any length.
- Lost Land, Teal and the Teal River Flowage: 10 panfish; largemouth of any length.
- Nelson Lake: walleye 18-inch minimum; 5 northern pike, release those from 25 to 35 inches; 10 panfish; bass of any length.
- Muskie on other lakes: May 2 – December 31, 2026, open water only; 1 a day, 40-inch minimum.
- Northern pike on other lakes (Northern Zone): May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027; 5 of any length.
- Bass on other lakes: largemouth may be kept May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027; in the Northern Bass Zone smallmouth may be kept from June 20; 5 combined, 14-inch minimum. Catch and release at other times.
- Panfish are open all year, 25 a day combined unless a lake rule is lower.
- Motor trolling is allowed countywide, up to three hooks, baits or lures per person.
- After Sunday, March 14, 2027, ice shelters on inland waters north of Highway 64 must come off the ice each day when not in use.
From the Wisconsin DNR's Guide to Hook and Line Fishing Regulations 2026–2027 (general inland waters, Ceded Territory rules and Sawyer County special regulations). Ceded Territory walleye limits can be lowered on single lakes during the year, so check the notice at the landing and the DNR site before you fish.
VI. Asked at the dock
Questions people ask
How much does a fishing guide cost on the Hayward lakes?
A guide boat for 1–2 anglers runs $500–$500 for a full day. Rates are per boat, not per person, and usually include bait and gas.
Is the walleye season different on the Chippewa Flowage?
Yes. Walleye season on the Flowage closes on November 30 instead of March 7, and only 3 walleye a day may be kept from the Flowage and the Chippewa River below it combined.
Where was the Wisconsin record muskie caught?
On the Chippewa Flowage. The DNR's record table lists a 69 lb 11 oz muskie caught there on October 20, 1949.
What does a muskie guide cost near Hayward?
Sandy Point Guide Service on the Flowage charges $475 for a full day and $350 for a half day for 1 to 2 anglers. Hayward Musky Fishing lists $450 for 8 hours for up to 3, with $100 for each guest beyond 2. Neither puts a year on its rates.
Can I rent an ice house near Hayward?
Mike Best Guiding rents heated shacks: $200 a day for a 2-person soft-sided shack, $250 a day for a 4-person hard-sided one. Tom Leahy's guided ice trips with shacks run $325 for a half day and $450 for a full day for 1 to 2 people. Big Fish Encounters rents sleeper houses in Hayward and shows prices only when you book.
Sources and photo credits
Photos: Fishing on Chippewa Flowage Wisconsin, Jeff the quiet, CC0; Moose Lake in the Chequamegon, viewed from behind campsite 2, Markheffron2, CC BY-SA 3.0; Reserve Wisconsin Little Lac Courte Oreilles, Jeff the quiet, CC0; Namakagon Queen Hayward Wisconsin June 1961, TimothyMN, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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