Best Lakes for Fishing Near Hayward
Wisconsin
30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Hayward, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and fishing-specific filters. Filtered for documented fish species (3+) and public access. Ranked by water quality and species diversity.
Within reasonable driving distance of Hayward sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is B.
The fishing-specific ranking layered on top of the letter grade is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the fishing use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grindstone Lake | Sawyer | A | 6.6 mi | 17.4 ft | 60 ft |
| 2 | Round Lake | Sawyer | A | 7.9 mi | 21.1 ft | 74 ft |
| 3 | Little Round Lake | Sawyer | A | 8.2 mi | 17.3 ft | 38 ft |
| 4 | Lac Courte Oreilles Lake | Sawyer | A | 8.4 mi | 12.2 ft | 90 ft |
| 5 | Indian Lake | Sawyer | A | 9.1 mi | 6.5 ft | 9 ft |
| 6 | Osprey Lake | Sawyer | A | 9.3 mi | 16 ft | 32 ft |
| 7 | Whitefish Lake | Sawyer | A | 10.6 mi | 13.5 ft | 105 ft |
| 8 | Sand Lake | Sawyer | A | 11.3 mi | 10 ft | 50 ft |
| 9 | Ashegon Lake | Sawyer | A | 14.3 mi | 10.5 ft | 56 ft |
| 10 | Blueberry Lake | Sawyer | A | 14.5 mi | 14.8 ft | 29 ft |
| 11 | Gaslyn Lake | Burnett | A | 31.3 mi | 4.5 ft | 12 ft |
| 12 | Big Sand Lake | Burnett | A | 38.2 mi | 11 ft | 55 ft |
| 13 | Windigo Lake | Sawyer | B | 5.8 mi | 11 ft | 51 ft |
| 14 | Bean Lake | Washburn | B | 6.6 mi | 10 ft | 35 ft |
| 15 | Lake Placid | Sawyer | B | 9.8 mi | 15 ft | 30 ft |
| 16 | Burns Lake | Sawyer | B | 10.3 mi | 11.5 ft | 9 ft |
| 17 | Billy Boy Flowage Lake | Sawyer | B | 10.4 mi | - | 46 ft |
| 18 | Clear Lake | Sawyer | B | 10.6 mi | 17.3 ft | 32 ft |
| 19 | Mud Lake | Sawyer | B | 11.4 mi | 10 ft | 15 ft |
| 20 | Tiger Cat Flowage Lake | Sawyer | B | 11.6 mi | 10.8 ft | 30 ft |
| 21 | Callahan Lake | Sawyer | B | 11.7 mi | 10.6 ft | 18 ft |
| 22 | Stone Lake | Washburn | B | 12.5 mi | 23 ft | 49 ft |
| 23 | Spider Lake | Sawyer | B | 13.9 mi | 10.5 ft | 64 ft |
| 24 | Slim Lake | Washburn | B | 15.3 mi | 15.7 ft | 42 ft |
| 25 | Sissabagama Lake | Sawyer | B | 15.5 mi | 8 ft | 48 ft |
| 26 | Little Sissabagama Lake | Sawyer | B | 16.9 mi | 12.2 ft | 75 ft |
| 27 | Cranberry Lake | Bayfield | B | 17.6 mi | 9 ft | 12 ft |
| 28 | Red Lake | Douglas | B | 17.7 mi | 12 ft | 37 ft |
| 29 | Lost Land Lake | Sawyer | B | 17.7 mi | 10 ft | 21 ft |
| 30 | Lake Wilipyro | Bayfield | B | 18.5 mi | 10.5 ft | 25 ft |
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Where to stay near Hayward
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.