With area angler awaiting ice anxiously on Lake Winnebago, mother nature continues to dish out warmer than normal temperatures along with brisk winds, resulting in less than ideal ice making conditions. The Southeast corner of the lake was still entirely open as of Wednesday; but, frozen over with a thin layer of ice come Thursday morning.
Some of the protected bays and harbors have had activity, with about 1-4 inches of ice depth (varying daily).
The big hole in Fond du Lac has had constant action for fishermen utilizing the boat docks as safety to get around. Fishing has been very good in the area for small perch. The harbor is full of shad and other minnows, and midsized walleyes can be seen on the cameras cruising through the area chasing meals. The perch have been attracted to small minnows and waxies at this location, with the minnows working best.
Asylum Bay has reports of about 3-4 inches of ice depth. Perch and bluegill fishing has been excellent, with some larger fish in the mix. Waxies and minnows are working best. As the traffic increases in this area, expect the fishing to slow down. This has been a solid morning and evening bite, with mid days becoming slower.
Lake Poygan has ice, but in many areas it is less than three inches. There has been some steady traffic, but any report of catching fish has been very scarce.
Not much else to report. I expect the ice to beginning forming and solidifying this week, with more solid ice to follow. The Reel Shot in Oshkosh will begin opening at 5 am starting after the first of the year. That’s it folks! Have a great start to the New Year. Be cautious of the daily changing conditions on all lakes in the general area.
