I have lived on the Chippewa Flowage since 1995. The Big Chip is my back yard and it is Wisconsin's largest semi-wilderness lake. It's my home lake and the lake I fish more than any other lake. I fish the Big Chip nearly every day of the open water fishing season. Due to the practice of catch & release, muskies from 45-inches and up are becoming more and more common with 50+ inchers caught every year. I first started fishing the Chip in 1974, so that means 2022, will be my 48th year of fishing the Chip. I have guided for, and personally caught, hundreds of muskies from the Big Chip and the heavy girths of Big Chip muskies continues to impress me year-after-year. The Big Chip holds the National Fishing Hall of Fame world record for musky, which was caught from the Flowage in 1949 and measured 63-1/2 inches long, and weighed 69lbs, 11 ounces. Muskies of legendary size still swim the waters of the Big Chip. Musky fishing on the famed Chippewa Flowage is truly a unique experience. While pursuing the muskies of the Big Chip, the beauty of the Flowage will surely enhance your experience. The Big Chip encompasses 15,300 acres water, and thousands of acres of forested wilderness, of which 98% is undeveloped. There are 140 islands, many floating bogs, and nearly 200-miles of shoreline surrounded by heavily wooded forests of hardwoods and pine. The Chippewa Flowage wilderness area is home to bear, wolves, eagles, deer, otter, loons, bobcats, beaver, fox, elk, and the occasional moose. Come enjoy a guided day or night of muskie fishing with me fishing in my beautiful backyard, the Chippewa Flowage.

Round Lake is a gin-clear lake of 3,294 acres with a maximum depth of 74 feet. The structure of the lake is varied with humps, bars, weed edges, bays and points. Most musky anglers struggle on Round Lake because the weeds aren't plentiful, and the water is so clear. Every year muskies in excess of 50-inches are caught & released on Round Lake and most of them are girthy. Round Lake isn't an action lake, but rather it is a lake to catch a trophy muskie. October and November are my preferred months to fish Round Lake because the big muskies are putting on the feed bag. Forty and possibly fifty pounders swim in Round Lake. When fishing Round Lake, you will either go home empty-handed or you'll experience the exuberant feeling that only comes from catching that big muskie of a lifetime.

The Lac Courte Oreilles Watershed, which includes Big Lac Courte Oreilles, Little Lac Courte Oreilles, Grindstone Lake and Whitefish Lake contains a total of 9,384 acres of water. The lake sizes are as follows: Big Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) - 5,139 acres with a maximum depth of 90 feet; Little Lac Courte Oreilles - 221 acres at 41 feet deep; Grindstone Lake at 3,176 at a max depth of 60 feet; and Whitefish Lake - 848 acres with a maximum depth of 102 feet. The lakes are connected by creeks and a thoroughfare. Thanks to heavy stocking by the WDNR and Muskies, Inc., the musky population in Big LCO is healthy and features a good population of 35 - 40-inch muskies along with 50+ inchers. Big Lac Courte Oreilles, holds the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record for musky, which measured 60-1/2 inches long and weighed 67 lbs-8 oz and was caught by outdoor writer Cal Johnson in 1949. Johnson's giant world record musky was mounted and hangs on the wall of the Moccasin Bar in downtown Hayward for everyone to see.

The 10 lakes of the Winter, Wisconsin area are not large lakes, but they can provide very good muskie fishing, especially if it is action you're seeking. Most of the lakes in the Winter area are within a twenty-minute drive from the Chippewa Flowage. Although not known as lakes to expect to catch muskies of greater than 50-inches, the lakes of the Winter, Wisconsin area do produce muskies up to 48-inches, and a handful of 50-inchers every year. Most of the lakes in the Winter, Wisconsin area are less than 300 acres, which means they are very fishable even on the windiest days. If you're seeking your very first muskie or an experienced muskie angler looking for good muskie action and you're willing to pass up a chance at a mid 50-inch muskie then the lakes of the Winter, Wisconsin area are fun lakes to try.

The "Quiet Lakes" are a group of lakes about 30-minutes east of Hayward which consists of Lost Land Lake, Teal Lake, Ghost Lake and Moose Lake. The "Quiet Lakes" are some of the most consistent producing muskie lakes in Sawyer County, especially in the early season. The muskies of the Quiet Lakes are known as "action lakes." Ghost Lake muskies typically fall in the range of 30 to 34-inches, and on Lost Land/Teal Lakes the muskies usually range in the 36 to 39-inch range. Moose Lake muskies are known for averaging in the 35 to 37-inch range. Of the Quiet Lakes, Lost Land/Teal offer the best opportunity for a muskie of 45-inches or better. I consider Ghost Lake to be a good early season lake because its waters warm up quicker than most lakes and the weed growth usually gets too thick to effectively fish after mid-July. The "Quiet Lakes" are a joy to fish because of their consistent action from muskies and the quiet, natural beauty of each of the lakes.

The Eau Claire Lake Chain is located about 25-miles northwest of Hayward. The primary lakes of the eleven-lake chain consist of Upper, Middle and Lower Eau Claire Lakes as well as Boney Lake, Birch and Robinson Lake. The Eau Claire Lakes chain has more than 3,200 surface acres and has a maximum depth of 92 feet. The Eau Claire Lakes chain has a history of producing above average size muskies. Muskies of 44-inches and up are common on the Eau Claire Lakes chain. Every year muskies from 50 to 53-inches are caught there. Muskies from the Eau Claire Lakes chain are often quite hefty, too. In fact, one of the largest and heaviest muskies ever caught came from the Eau Claire Chain. The muskie weighed more than sixty-five pounds and was caught by Robert Malo in 1954. The skin mount of Malo's incredibly fat muskie is on public display at Dun Rovin Lodge outside of Hayward.

I am the only fishing guide in the Hayward area who offers a muskie guide trip to a hike-in undeveloped, wilderness lake where the muskies seldom, if ever, see a lure. My hike-in muskie lakes are within a 25 to 45 minute drive from the Chippewa Flowage. Most muskie fishermen don't know these lakes exist, but if they do, then they don't know they contain muskies. There is no development on several of the hike-in muskie lakes I make available. My hike-in lakes contain muskies of a good range of sizes, including into the upper 40-inch range. Most of the muskies in my hike-in lakes likely have never seen a lure. Other species these hike-in lakes offer are smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleyes, and northern pike. Hiking into these lakes can take from fifteen minutes to forty-five minutes, depending on which hike-in lake we are targeting. The best part is my hike-in lakes get very low pressure, if any pressure at all. They are a step back into time. I have heard only one other person mention one of my hike-in lakes over the past 48-years, and I have never heard anyone mention the other hike-in lakes I utilize. To fish my hike-in lakes, it requires a canoe, scanoe or a kayak. If you don't own any of those then I can recommend a Hayward outfitter who will rent them to you. Contact me for more information.

Most of the time I fish for muskies in the Hayward area and especially my home lake (the Chippewa Flowage); however, there are times during the muskie season that I will fish certain select lakes in Minnesota. One lake I target is near Duluth, and of course, I also fish Lake Mille Lacs and a few Minnesota lakes near the Minnesota/North Dakota border. Each of the Minnesota lakes I target are considered "trophy lakes," and I have caught and guided-for muskies of 50-inches and larger from each of the select Minnesota lakes I target. If you would like to schedule a guided trip to Minnesota with me, call for pricing.