A quick overview of conditions: Lake Winnebago and Lake Poygan have ice sheets which are breaking down, and are no longer safe for any human travel. The heavy rains this week has been breaking down the ice from the bottom up and the top down. As a result, little to no fishing has occurred on the lakes this past week.
Mark Schram with a 29″ walleye on 4-7-13
Lake Buttes des Mortes is nearly open as of Thursday night, along with the Fox River in Oshkosh. Back bays still have ice, so occasional flows of ice can be expected on the river system.
The recent rains have added current flow, along with rising the river’s levels to high levels, which to date had been low. As the river continues to rise, this will continue to beckon walleyes in to the Wolf River and the Fox River.
Wolf River fishing reports have been weak, but the Wolf River cams have been showing migration throughout the system. It appears many of the females are on the move up river, but have a case of lockjaw. Males have been slightly more willing to grab a bait.
As the water rises on the Wolf, and with the added rain expected, things are looking positive for a good start to the spawn. One ingredient still missing is warmer water temperatures. The rains have caused the river temps to decline, and are still hanging in the mid 30’s. Ideally, about 45 degrees would be nearly perfect to peak the walleye spawn. We still need some sunshine to make this spawn hit high gear.
Overall, we are in a holding pattern, and after this weekend may be the very beginning to the walleye spawn on the system.
Be sure to check out River Haus’s new Facebook page. Be sure to “Like” them. Don has fresh bait coming in often!
If you are looking for a Depere Fox River report, check the front page for a separate report.
Please feel free to send us some reports, as it is tough to cover miles of waterways accurately without your assistance. [email protected] is the address. In the meantime…..Get on the water and Stay on top!
