The Hay River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Red Cedar River

Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)

The Red Cedar River in northwestern Wisconsin, is a tributary of the Chippewa River, flowing approximately 85 miles from Lake Chetek, a reservoir in southwestern Sawyer County, through a small chain of lakes, including Birch Lake at Birchwood, Balsam Lake in Washburn County and Red Cedar Lake in...

 in northwestern Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is about 50 mi (80 km) long. Via the Red Cedar and Chippewa

Chippewa River (Wisconsin)

The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary...

 Rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

.

Course

The Hay River begins at the city of Cumberland

Cumberland, Wisconsin

Cumberland is a city in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,280 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Cumberland.-Recreation:...

 in Barron County, where it flows from Beaver Dam Lake. It flows generally southwardly through western Barron and northern Dunn Counties, past the villages of Prairie Farm

Prairie Farm, Wisconsin

Prairie Farm is a village in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 508 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Prairie Farm, on eastern shore of the Prairie Farm Flowage, a reservoir on the Hay River....

 and Wheeler

Wheeler, Wisconsin

Wheeler is a village in Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Hay River. The population was 317 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wheeler is located at ....

. It joins the Red Cedar River in Dunn County as part of Tainter Lake at a settlement of the same name

Tainter Lake, Wisconsin

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,089 people, 846 households, and 631 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 112.2 people per square mile . There were 1,002 housing units at an average density of 53.8/sq mi...

.

Upstream of Wheeler, the river collects the South Fork Hay River, which rises in southeastern Polk County and flows south-southeastwardly, past the community of Connorsville

Connorsville, Wisconsin

Connorsville is an unincorporated community in Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the South Fork of the Hay River in the town of New Haven....

.