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[Salmon__Slayer]

This weekend is mothers day and my family planned a trip to Hayward lake in mission. The lake apparently has some fish but i don't know what species are available  and how to target them. I always brag about how good of a fisherman i am to my Brother and their families so this weekend is my time to prove it. Anybody fished there before? Anything helps.
thanks

[Fish or cut bait.]

Personally, never fished it.
Maybe once, 30 years ago.

Good luck!
Hope everyone has a license.

[sbc hris]

Tough lake to find fish in. There really aren't many in there. Do you have a boat?? The Channel that comes out of the old dam used to be a decent spot to fish, and off of the old wooden bridge near the mouth of the channel. But they have closed off access to the whole channel, and put fences on the bridge. Since they started work on the dam a few years back, they've been fluctuating the water levels more often than usual, and it seems to have distruped the balance of things in that lake. It's a very tough go right now. The stave lake boat launch (right up the road) may be a better bet. Last weekend the docks weren't in yet, and the water was down a bit, but you could still fish off of the rocks there. Probably a better bet than Hayward. Stave is a much more productive lake.
As far as target species, there is a mixed bag in both, but primarily you are fishing for pikeminnow and Cutties if you're shore fishing, with the possibility of targetting bulls/dollies if you have a boat. If you HAVE to fish at Hayward, and don't have a boat, I would try parking near the dam at the South end, and walking up the trail to the rock bluffs etc. There are more and better options at that end of the lake. If you're stuck in the park at the North end, try the beaver pond for trout and pikrminnows/suckers. Or possibly down around the dog beach if it's not too busy. There really aren't many shore fishing options left at that end of the lake anymore. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[Salmon__Slayer]

thank you so much for the kind and generous replies. I will definitely try the beaver pond first and move along the shore. Thanks For the help will take a video while there.

[RalphH]

We used to do very good many years ago at the north end where the dam discharge came into the top end. Fished out of an anchored boat and the best was behind the small island downstream of the wooden bridge - fish held right in the current seam. In the lake itself tolling right in the heavy current or farther down - about mid-way. I haven't fished it for 30 to 35 years and it's all been changed so I'm not sure where to fish now. If you walk down the trail on the east bank there are some shoals and creek mouths about a mile or so which might be worth a shot. In past years there was some stocking of the lake but I am sure there was natural reproduction of cutthroat. If I fished it now I'd concentrate around the shoals particularly at the edge of drop offs. There must be various bait fish like sticklebacks in addition to the large population of pike minnow and they'd be prime cutthroat food so try small spoons and spinners or even a dew worm hung off a float.