With a few days of below normal temperatures, Lake Winnebago now has a full ice sheet for the first time this year. The ice is not ready for travel just yet, but fishermen have been venturing out on foot several hundred yards from some of the shorelines to find 2-3 inches of ice. With forecasted temperatures projected above normal, we may still be several weeks away from substantial ice, and may even experience setbacks from the current conditions.
Fishing reports have been very positive for pan fish. Since the system is not giving us solid ice to get out to the walleyes, they have been scarce to date.
The feeder creek near the Jesuit Retreat in Black Wolf (also known as Stretch) has had a hot bite working for bluegill, crappie, perch and an occasional bass.
The Old Chaparral in North Fond du Lac is having similar success stories in the small bay near the parking area and in the shallow water areas on the main lake just outside the channels.
Fond du Lac’s harbor (big hole) has had a lot of pressure, but perch remain consistent in this area. The average size is about 6-9 inches. These fish prefer small minnows on a plain gold or red hook. Piggybacking multiple minnows on a single hook has been attracting larger perch.
Asylum Bay has been hammered over the past several weeks, and fishing has slowed down in this area. There remains a lot of small perch in the area. The same holds true at Menomonie Park in Oshkosh.
Cowling Bay has had plenty of activity also. Some decent baskets of panfish are being reported.
The Wolf River continues to produce crappie, bluegills and perch in excellent sizes in the backwater areas.
Lake Poygan has some deeper ice depths at about 5-6 inches, but access is limited due to cracks and ice shoves. There are active white bass and a stray walleye if you can get past the shoves.
Looking for an odd ball Ice Auger blade? Check out River Haus in Fond du Lac. He carries some off brand blades at the shop, along with a nice selection of ice jigs.
We will continue to update reports about every week or so, assuming the ice continues to improve. Remember that the ice depths currently can fluctuate greatly in just a few feet of surface area, so extreme caution must be used when on the ice. Thank you for your support of the website, and let a friend know about these reports and our other features.
