A fairly consistent weather pattern set up in the Lake Winnebago region over the past week. Temperatures remained steady, with occasional rain episodes. Overall, the water clarity remains stained on Lake Winnebago with water temperatures in the low to mid 70’s. Algae remains an issue in quiet bays and channels.
Boat traffic has been very heavy when conditions have allowed, with anglers chasing a multitude of species. This is an awesome time of year for the Winnebago system. Walleyes are still active, perch fishing is heating up, bass fishing is at its peak, and many other fish are in somewhat predictable patterns.
Walleyes continue to be found in and around the reefs, targeting 6-10 feet of water. The majority of fish being caught are in the 14-20 inch class, with some occasional larger fish. Larger walleyes can be taken in the weed beds or in the deep water basin.
Overall, limits of walleye can be taken, but a more common basket of fish would be about 2-3 fish per trip per angler.
Perch fishing has become more consistent, and anglers have been targeting these fish heavily. The majority of the fish being caught are average sized perch in the 7-9 inch ranges. While the bite is not “hot” yet, there are enough perch to keep things interesting for most anglers.
We focused on some bass fishing this week. I can’t say I’ve fished Little Lake Butte des Mortes often, but this lake is a fantastic bass factory. We found largemouth and smallmouths on rocks, in weeds, in open water and on wood. We fished exclusively Slop Frog Baits, and a video is now available on the front page of the action on Sunday 7-13 or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr9FoCcYoSE&feature=youtu.be
The hottest area on Lake Winnebago has been the Long Point Complex. There are walleyes, pan fish, perch, bass and sheephead which are very active here. Most anglers are anchored, using a dead stick technique or slip bobbers. Trolling the edge of the reef and the adjacent deeper water is also producing walleyes.
In addition, perch and bluegill anglers have been doing well north of the big island at Wendt’s in the weeds.
Fisherman’s Road and Brothertown areas remain busy, and results are mixed for perch and walleyes.
Overall, the reefs near Oshkosh have slowed down, especially near the river. Water visibility is reduced in this area, and may be playing a role in the slowdown.
The mud bite has been weak. Random walleyes can be caught, and generally are larger than the reef fish. However, these walleyes do not appear to be schooled and are difficult to target. White bass and sheephead were the most common fish caught in the mud this week.
The AIM tournament held Sunday out of Jefferson Park in Menasha had some mixed results. Most competitors in the 100 boat field produced walleyes, and outside of the top 20 teams, weights were mediocre. HOWEVER, the winning weight may have been the largest I’ve ever seen on the Winnebago system. A five fish limit resulted in Bobber/Bobber bringing 35.74 pounds to the scale. That’s a 7.1 pound average per fish or approximately 26 inch average.
If you are looking for hellgrammites for perch fishing, River Haus in FDL now has them in stock. They also are now carrying the Slop Frog Baits as of Friday.
Just FYI, we fished Kewaunee, WI (Lake Michigan) on Saturday for Salmon and Trout. The fish are moving in at Kewaunee, but overall the fishing was slow. Rainbow trout are present above the thermocline in 140 feet plus of water.
Next week looks to have a major cold front moving through the area. Cooler temperatures will potentially make for a tough week, especially if the wind is stronger. However, very little rain is expected after mid-week, so the upcoming weekend could be excellent. Team Myfishingpartner will be in Sturgeon Bay (Bay of Green Bay) this week competing in the SWC event.
Have a great week on the water, and send those reports to me at [email protected]. We look forward from hearing from you.
