You are fishing this weekend, but have no idea where to go.  Here is an overview of some of the most popular destinations in North Eastern Wisconsin, and how viable they are for boat/ice fishing traffic.

Lake Winnebago:

The end of the ice season is near.  The bridges for vehicle traffic remain in place, but are expected to be removed by Monday.  In many places, the ice is breaking down, and with the steady rain on Thursday March 27, a continued erosion of the ice sheet will be seen.

ATV only travel is recommended. Fishing has been adequate for pan fish and white bass.  Many walleyes have moved up the river under the ice.   The ice sheet will break down in the near future along the shorelines, making access very difficult.  This might be your last opportunity to ice fish on Lake Winnebago this weekend, without extreme risk.

Fox River DePere:

This place will be nuts this weekend.  Everyone is “geeked up” for this river to have it’s ice sheet gone.  Boats are now navigating the entire river, most launching from Metro Boat Launch at the mouth of the Bay.  Attempts to open the Fox Point Launch (aka Dairy Queen Launch) have failed.  With a little human help on Friday, this launch may be available for the weekend.  There are no guarantees.

Male walleyes have been near the dam for almost 10 days.  A few females have been reported, but those are rare. Granted, the males being caught are averaging low to mid 20 inch range, so there are some nice fish in the area.  Be prepared for bumper boats this weekend and expect to dodge ice flows moving down the river.

There is a current video on the Facebook page, of a fly over on Wednesday.  https://www.facebook.com/myfishingpartner?ref=hl

Milwaukee Harbor:

The brown trouts are in the harbor, and the lake trout are expected soon.  Many key spots are very small, and often only hold 2-5 boats.  Getting out early is a must.

There are no docks in as of yet, so two man launching is a must for bigger boats. With the media attention this area received the past two weeks, I would expect this area to be jammed packed this weekend, especially Sunday with the warmer weather.  The entire harbor was ice free last weekend.

Fox River Oshkosh/Wolf River Fremont:

The rivers are opening up, but still have too much ice to be viable.  The lakes to the south of the rivers are ice locked, so moving ice will just jam at the mouths.

In Oshkosh, the main ramps are ice locked.  I heard that the ramp near the senior center is open, but I have not confirmed.  The rain on Thursday may help the transition to spring fishing drastically.

Conditions on all bodies of water are changing daily.  Please be aware of your surroundings and have an exit strategy.  Look for a My Fishing Partner Report on Depere on Monday/Tuesday.