A hot and humid week of weather drove water temperatures upward on Lake Winnebago. By Sunday some areas of the system observed 84 degree water temperatures, with the majority of the lake hovering around 80 degrees. Water clarity was variable, ranging from a few inches of visibility to a few feet. Algae blooms are present but not significant. Floating vegetation is problematic for trollers in the southern third of the lake.
Officially, the dog days of summer have arrived. The hot temperatures and changing wind patterns challenged even the most seasoned anglers in their search for walleye and perch. Sheephead didn’t challenge anyone and were very abundant and active.
The “mud” bite on the central basin of Lake Winnebago is essential non-existent for about two thirds of the lake. Fish are very scattered, making any fishing patterns difficult to develop. Schools of bait fish have been infrequently detected on the locators, indicating a smaller volume of bait fish than years past. Essentially, with the warm water temperatures, walleyes are conserving their energy and have become largely unaggressive.
The weed bite for walleyes on Lake Winnebago has been going very well with some anglers, especially along the southwest shore. There has been little movement of walleyes over the last several weeks. The variant currently is the weather patterns effecting the feeding patterns of the fish. North winds and high sunny skies will slow the movement of the walleyes.
The best trolling bites on the main lake remains near Waverly Beach in Neenah, WI and outside of Garlic Island in Oshkosh. The solid weed bite running from Wendt’s down to North Fond du Lac has waned, but is expected to pick back up as conditions improve.
White bass have been active, especially near the reefs of the Long Point complex.
Perch fisherman have nearly disappeared this past weekend. Perch have been elusive, and the overall population numbers are well off the peaks of several years ago. There have been some productive pockets of perch in the general vicinity of Garlic Island.
Earlier in the week a solid trolling bite was going on in Lake Butte Des Mortes. This was a deep water bite (if you call 7-8 feet of water deep). There are active crappies, white bass, and pike cruising in the same general area. If you “weed” through the junk fish, some nice walleyes could be taken. Size seven shad raps dragged behind Off Shore Planner Boards were the golden ticket.
Lake Poygan has had a resurgence in walleye activity. Some larger fish are being reported out Horseshoe Hole and Clark’s Bay. However, this bite is really inconsistent.
The Fox River has had an excellent catfish bite going, especially near the Hwy 41 Bridge. True fact, you can use scented bath soap as bait for catfish. Really!
The ‘Bago Walleye Club held their final event of the year on Sunday out of Oshkosh. Weight were significantly off recent week averages, with nearly a quarter of the field putting zeros on the dry ease board. Winning weight came in at just over 16 pounds. The “weed fishermen” did well; the trollers and river rats struggled. My Fishing Partner Team Results: Mark/Don had just under 5 pounds, and Chase/Shane had just over 2 pounds for a less than stellar finish. Even with the air temperatures of 90 plus degrees, the release rate of the walleyes was in excess of 90%. This club is the gold standard for live release walleyes.
For many anglers, The Bay of Green Bay offers the best walleye opportunities currently. The walleyes continue to move north, but the largest fish of have been reported around Chambers Island and Ephraim WI in limited numbers. Larger schools of walleyes can be found south of Oconto.
Last week, The NWT held their pro event on Green Bay. Overall weights were mind numbing with huge baskets brought into the scales. Cam Lewis was the winner with over 65 pounds, and a proud liaison with the My Fishing Partner team. Way to go Cam! You deserve everything you earned!
The walleye tournament season is essentially over on Lake Winnebago. There continues to be multiple Bass tournaments, and a few sheephead tournament. Quinney Fishing club has their annual event coming up. The event is a total riot, and should be considered in your schedule.
Mark@myfishingpartner is my email. Time for me to chase some giant walleyes on the bay, or some salmon on Lake Michigan. Please keep the fishing reports on Lake Winnebago coming, as it is nearly impossible to cover the 137,700 acres by our team! Thank you for taking the time to read this report, and visiting our site. Team My Fishing Partner, our sponsors and our families’ thank you! Now…Stop reading reports and get on the water!
