Best smallmouth lakes in NW Wisconsin?

[punch]

Hey guys! So I'm from Minnesota and next year I'm putting my camper at Trego Lake all year. I'm going to use the summer to explore around NW Wisconsin and chase bass & musky. I'm really unfamiliar with the area and would love to know if what are some of the 'best of' lakes around Hayward/Spooner?

[bigtimearcher]

The East side of the Chippewa Flowage holds smallmouth and the flowage itself is where the world record musky came from.......so I'd start on that body of water!

[dbuchmann]

Big Round, LCO, Grindstone are all good up by Hayward. Stone Lake, Long and Shell Lake in the Spooner area. I fish all of those all summer and have had my biggest have come out of Round.

[punch]

Thanks guys!

[mnmike]

its not a lake but if you're coming from MN I'd suggest dumping the St Croix. River is loaded with smalljaws

[grindstone]

I'd say Big Round for size and Grindstone for numbers. My PB also came out of Big Round too (22 1/4") I've caught my share of 20" from Grindstone. Don't overlook the Namekagon River above where it dumps in to Trego Lake is a great fishery. Jack's canoe rental and take the shortest trip they offer as it's a trout steam for most of it's length and picks up color and slows as you approach Trego. Great place to spend a summer

[fishon396]

Sounds like fun I am envious.

[btsmbass]

Trego is right by some really awesome not so popular holes. Shell is literally in your backyard and is super easy and loaded with 2-3# smallies. Pipe is really good but tougher to fish. Staples is a LM gem. Tons of 3-4# largies in there. Silver L just N of you is great. Plus all the tourist bombed lakes are good. Long, Bear, and Red Cedar are good too. I spent a bunch of time up there a few years ago and I just went to two or three lakes everyday. Almost all of them were good. You do not have to travel far to find fish.

[kyeska]

Avoid the Chippewa Flowage like the plague. Did you see results from the WI BASS Nation state tournament this year? Place is a joke!

[BassStriker]

What are some good lakes around Tomahawk area? I have fished Lake Mohawksin top to bottom.

[188Musky]

Avoid the Chippewa Flowage like the plague. Did you see results from the WI BASS Nation state tournament this year? Place is a joke!

With temps 30 degrees below normal, wind, and constant rain, I think those results might have been weather related.

[alanhore]

Nope no fish in there.

Avoid the Chippewa Flowage like the plague. Did you see results from the WI BASS Nation state tournament this year? Place is a joke!

[punch]

Trego is right by some really awesome not so popular holes. Shell is literally in your backyard and is super easy and loaded with 2-3# smallies. Pipe is really good but tougher to fish. Staples is a LM gem. Tons of 3-4# largies in there. Silver L just N of you is great. Plus all the tourist bombed lakes are good. Long, Bear, and Red Cedar are good too. I spent a bunch of time up there a few years ago and I just went to two or three lakes everyday. Almost all of them were good. You do not have to travel far to find fish.

Thanks so much!

[TomP.]

Nope no fish in there.

I believe your right I do not think any one should fish the Chip it is a waste of time and effort

[moorfred]

I'd say Big Round for size and Grindstone for numbers. My PB also came out of Big Round too (22 1/4") I've caught my share of 20" from Grindstone. Don't overlook the Namekagon River above where it dumps in to Trego Lake is a great fishery. Jack's canoe rental and take the shortest trip they offer as it's a trout steam for most of it's length and picks up color and slows as you approach Trego. Great place to spend a summer

Have a cousin that has a home on Big Round. Caught my biggest smallmouth there on a Zora Spook. 6’3”. My Aunt and Uncle owned a resort on Spider Lake. So being from Ohio we visited the Hayward area a lot. My dad was a big musky fisherman. A great area to vacation.