Constant change has summed up the last week of weather. Temperatures into the upper 40’s and wind chills to -40 degrees have hammered the area. A heavy snow pack has been eased and travel on the lake has gone from nearly impossible to typical. The ice depth on the main lake is generally in the 10-11 inch range, and Lake Poygan has had a few reports of select spots in excess of 13” of solid ice. The ice still has some bad spots on it and caution is highly recommended.
Lake Poygan has been very good for walleyes. Good numbers of fish are being reported. There has been a lot of fishing pressure this week, so fish have scattered as the week progressed. A variety of methods are working including jigging Rapala’s with a minnow head or a standard tip-up set up. Pike fishing has slowed some, but is still very good. Sizeable fish in the upper 30” range have been caught recently on golden shiners. Pan fish are being taken regularly in the back waters along the river.
Lake Winnebago is still being fished regularly on the south end, but areas such as Miller’s Bay in Oshkosh is getting more attention and pan fish action is good. The harbors are also producing a few crappies and Bluegills. White Bass schools have been reported in several areas on the east shore this week and they are very aggressive. They seem to be roaming and the location changes daily. Walleyes tend to be scattered, and few can be had on jigging methods and tip ups. Perch have been very active south of Oshkosh in the mud where reefs are nearby. Green and red/pink were the best colors (Must be a Christmas thing). Wendt’s (Van Dyne) has been producing perch in good numbers, but most of these fish are on the very small size. I had no reports from the north shore.
The Winnebago forage base is low. The young of the year census showed sheephead, bluegills, yellow perch, gizzard shad and crappie at less than 50% population vs. last year’s class. Emerald shiners are down approximately 90% versus last year. Trout perch are about even from 2007. White Bass on the other hand are up 500% vs. last year. A huge walleye hatch was also reported.
Make sure to leave your reports at [email protected]. We have also opened the forum up to the general public for viewing.
