Another great week of weather spoiled Lake Winnebago anglers. With air and water temperatures well above averages, many of the seasonal fall trends have not emerged just yet on the system. Water temps have remained around 75 degrees, until the overnight rain dropped temperatures into the 70 degree range on Monday. Water clarity has diminished since last week, and the water column has a medium to dark stain. There was a large decline in the number of fishing boats on the main lake this past weekend, indicating many of the sportsmen have traded their fishing rods for a gun or a bow.
System wide, one of the better stories of the week was the activity of the bluegills. These fish have been actively feeding on leaf worms and crawlers. The best method was a tight to the bottom presentation or suspended slightly above the bottom with slip bobbers. Ideal areas to find the gills are in the weedy areas just off of a reef in deeper water. In addition, we found some of these guys moving through the Fox River in Oshkosh. Size is excellent.
Perch fishing remained unchanged. The area from Subway Road north to Wendt’s has been very good. This area is also producing accidental walleyes in the 12-15 inch range. In many cases, these walleyes are not being targeted, but are a nice bonus to the bag. Other areas reporting solid perch action include Waverly Beach, Garlic Island, Pipe, Paukotuc Reef and in front of Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac. Crawlers, waxies, and worms are dominating the meat choice. Hellgrammites are now “out of season” as most bait shops have exhausted their supply.
Walleye action has started to heat up in the river, but only slightly. As the water temperatures cool, fishermen can expect a portion of the walleyes to start heading toward their spring spawning areas. In many cases this partial journey results in a trip through the mouth of the Fox River and past the Hwy 41 Bridge. We worked the 41 Bridge this week and found white bass, catfish, and bluegill in the area. On the main lake, check the weed beds for walleyes seeking an easy meal.
White bass activity was been good. There have been a report or two of white bass “runs” occurring in the rivers, but this simply is not the case in the Fox or Fond du Lac Rivers. The Wolf River has seen the best action.
Catfish have been very active. The northern end of lake still has a lot of cats feeding especially long the North Shore Country Club. In the rivers, check the bridges and deep holes. A glob of night crawler (with a squirt of scent) will do the trick
Have a great week. Please leave your reports at [email protected] or on the forums. Also Just FYI, Fuggleberg Launch (Oshkosh) has a low water level and it is not advised to launch a larger boat at this ramp.
