A roller coaster weather pattern has had Lake Winnebago confused if it is autumn or summer. High temperatures have ranged from the low 70’s to the upper 90’s over the past ten days, playing havoc with fishing conditions. Water temps are in the mid 70’s, and the water column remains stained. Blue Green algae has been observed along the north shore.
The constant environmental changes have made area anglers frustrated with the daily condition changes; and as a result, the negative mood of the fish. With bow hunting starting this week, it is likely that the lake will receive moderate attention from now until first ice.
Walleyes were fairly scarce this week. There have been some mid-sized walleyes taken in the weed beds. The reef edges and tops were fairly vacant this week. There has been some movement of the larger walleyes into the river, in preparation for the fall migrations. The Oshkosh area can expect higher populations of walleyes as the water temperatures drop, as those fish will begin to stage near the mouth of the Fox River prior to migration to the upper lakes.
Perch fishing has been described as “spotty” by local bait shops. I would concur based on my experiences this week. I have found using a chartreuse bead above my hook to be consistently out producing any other attractant. Crawlers were the only bait choice producing perch for me this week. The peak perch bite has changed from a morning to an afternoon bite in recent days.
The south end of Lake Winnebago has adequate catch rates for a meal, but limits are nowhere to be found. The gravel flats/transition zones are holding larger perch, while the weed beds hosts higher numbers of smaller fish. From Clarence’s to the Lakeside Park Lighthouse, perch are roaming along with a ton of sheephead. Bluegills remain north of the red buoy outside of the Fond du Lac River near Stinky Point.
Along the east shore, the Fisherman’s Road area remains inactive for fishermen, but I found a few jumbo perch near the Deadwood Beach area. These fish were staged in deeper water (13 feet), and the fish would come in waves. Also in this vicinity are bullheads, catfish, small mouth and sheephead.
The west shore features some heavy activity along the Black Wolf area for sizable white bass, especially on the reef edges. Perch can also be found in the 12-15 foot ranges. Many of these perch are roaming, so it takes a while to locate the fish each day. Size is impressive for some of these perch. Kalibus, Long Point and Genes Reef are the key location, just off of the reef.
Moving north along Asylum Bay, the perch remain active on slip bobbers and dead sticks along the weed edges/pockets or transition zones. Rock bass are very active also. Crappies have start to become active again also.
I did some mid-range depth trolling this week. The sheephead are impressive! I had two fish which probably fell in the 8-10 pound range, and were nearly impossible to reel in. I know sheephead are under appreciated, but this was some great action. #5 Salmo’s or #7 flicker shad were the ticket.
It will be a quiet few weeks leading into late fall. The fishing reports will be updated about every 10-14 days until ice, unless conditions change rapidly. Be sure to follow us on facebook for additional information. https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Fishing-Partner/222624783318?ref=hl
Have a great week! [email protected] is my email.
