Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum - Hayward, Wisconsin

 Print This Post

Step Inside The World’s Largest Muskie
Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum
Hayward, Wisconsin

Visiting the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Hayward, Wisconsin will lure you into visiting the Northwest woods of Wisconsin again. One of the most popular activities in the Hayward area is freshwater fishing, with a major part of this being done on the Chippewa Flowage. Visiting the Fishing Hall of Fame, which honors freshwater fishing in all of North America, you’ll see just how the area became so well-known for its fishing.

This unique museum is in the shape of a large fish, a half city block long and one-and-a-half stories tall Muskie, to be exact. This “Shrine to Anglers” was built in 1960 as a source for collecting, preserving, and displaying the artifacts relevant to the sport of freshwater angling. It pulls in 100,000 visitors a year, with the majority of them visiting in the summer, assumably after putting in their own time during the day with their rod and reel.

The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum displays records and trophies of anglers that use a rod and reel, pole and line with no reel, fly fishing, and ice fishing. Since 1993 it has also recognized anglers that use a “catch and release” method to preserve the stock in the freshwater lakes. All record holders are honored with their pictures on display in the Hall of Fame, prompting many to try for that all-important record, to be honored among the best.

In a building adjacent to the one-and-a-half stories tall Muskie, artifacts relevant to freshwater fishing are displayed. Included in these artifacts are antique lures, rods, boat motors, etc., virtually every piece of equipment that is used for fishing. There are also four hundred mounts of nearly two hundred different species of fish. A small theatre, accommodating thirty-five people is found in this area of the museum as well, and continuously shows educational and instructional movie shorts throughout the day.

The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 10360 Hall of Fame Drive in Hayward, Wisconsin. It is open seven days a week from April fifteenth to November first, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with no admittance being allowed after 4:30 PM. It should be noted that the administrative officers are open in the winter months, Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (being closed between Christmas and New Years), even though the Hall of Fame isn’t. Admission is a “nominal gate fee” with groups of fifteen or more enjoying a discount. Children under ten years old are not admitted unless they are accompanied by an adult.

Hayward’s answer to Canton, Ohio’s Baseball Hall of Fame offers up just enough on fishing to fill a few hours of your time. If you’re looking for something unique to do during your stay in the Hayward area, the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum certainly provides this. It will leave you remembering the relaxation of stealing away for a few hours every day to get in a few hours of fishing solitude.