What is the best fishing lake near Hayward?

Grindstone Lake in Sawyer County is the top-ranked fishing lake near Hayward on measured water quality (6.6 miles away).

How many lakes are near Hayward for fishing?

30 lakes within driving distance of Hayward match the fishing filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Fishing Near Hayward, WI

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 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

The fishing-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the fishing use case is less useful than a decent one that does.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Grindstone Lake	Sawyer	6.6 mi	17.4 ft	60 ft
2	Round Lake	Sawyer	7.9 mi	21.1 ft	74 ft
3	Little Round Lake	Sawyer	8.2 mi	17.3 ft	38 ft
4	Lac Courte Oreilles Lake	Sawyer	8.4 mi	12.2 ft	90 ft
5	Indian Lake	Sawyer	9.1 mi	6.5 ft	9 ft
6	Osprey Lake	Sawyer	9.3 mi	16 ft	32 ft
7	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	10.6 mi	13.5 ft	105 ft
8	Sand Lake	Sawyer	11.3 mi	10 ft	50 ft
9	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	14.3 mi	10.5 ft	56 ft
10	Blueberry Lake	Sawyer	14.5 mi	14.8 ft	29 ft
11	Gaslyn Lake	Burnett	31.3 mi	4.5 ft	12 ft
12	Big Sand Lake	Burnett	38.2 mi	11 ft	55 ft
13	Windigo Lake	Sawyer	5.8 mi	11 ft	51 ft
14	Bean Lake	Washburn	6.6 mi	10 ft	35 ft
15	Lake Placid	Sawyer	9.8 mi	15 ft	30 ft
16	Burns Lake	Sawyer	10.3 mi	11.5 ft	9 ft
17	Billy Boy Flowage Lake	Sawyer	10.4 mi	-	46 ft
18	Clear Lake	Sawyer	10.6 mi	17.3 ft	32 ft
19	Mud Lake	Sawyer	11.4 mi	10 ft	15 ft
20	Tiger Cat Flowage Lake	Sawyer	11.6 mi	10.8 ft	30 ft
21	Callahan Lake	Sawyer	11.7 mi	10.6 ft	18 ft
22	Stone Lake	Washburn	12.5 mi	23 ft	49 ft
23	Spider Lake	Sawyer	13.9 mi	10.5 ft	64 ft
24	Slim Lake	Washburn	15.3 mi	15.7 ft	42 ft
25	Sissabagama Lake	Sawyer	15.5 mi	8 ft	48 ft
26	Little Sissabagama Lake	Sawyer	16.9 mi	12.2 ft	75 ft
27	Cranberry Lake	Bayfield	17.6 mi	9 ft	12 ft
28	Red Lake	Douglas	17.7 mi	12 ft	37 ft
29	Lost Land Lake	Sawyer	17.7 mi	10 ft	21 ft
30	Lake Wilipyro	Bayfield	18.5 mi	10.5 ft	25 ft

Other activities near Hayward

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Where to stay near Hayward

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hayward — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Hayward

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.