Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Winnebago fishing report.

We don’t deal with tides here, but levels are stable and water temps are cold enough that folks are eyeing first ice. According to the National Weather Service, we’re sitting in seasonable early‑winter weather: below‑freezing nights, highs creeping into the upper 20s to low 30s, light north‑northwest breeze, and a mix of clouds and sun. Sunrise is right around 7:20 a.m. and sunset just after 4:15 p.m., so it’s a short window—prime low‑light bites on both ends.

Statewide Wisconsin fishing reports this past week say most anglers are still in the transition mode, waiting on consistently safe, walkable ice. That lines up with what locals around Oshkosh and Fond du Lac are seeing: shorelines and back bays locking up first, main basin still patchy and not to be trusted yet. Treat any ice as sketchy—spud bar, picks, and a buddy are mandatory.

Walleye activity has been best in the evenings along the river mouths and current breaks—Fox River at Oshkosh and Neenah, and the mouth of the East Shore rivers. Folks casting from shore or in small boats where ramps allow are picking up eater‑size eyes with a few solid 20‑plus‑inch fish mixed in. Jig-and-minnow is still king: 1/8 to 1/4‑ounce jigs tipped with fatheads or shiners, slowly dragged just off bottom. For artificials, think local: Northland Fire-Ball jigs, Rapala Jigging Raps, and #7 Rippin’ Raps in perch, chrome blue, and gold are standard Winnebago staples.

Perch have been scattered but showing up in better numbers along the east shore reefs and in protected bays with early ice skim. Recent catches are mostly 8–10 inches, with enough 11s to keep folks interested. Best producers: small tungsten jigs with spikes or waxies, and plain hooks with crappie minnows under a slip bobber when you can still float a boat.

White bass are hit‑or‑miss, but when you land on them in the basin, blade baits and small spoons in silver or gold still do the trick. Crappies and bluegills are more of a back‑bay and channel play right now—marinas and canals off the main lake are holding a few pockets of fish. Tiny plastics on 3–4 mm tungsten, or a single red spike, are outfishing live bait when the bite is finicky.

Couple of local hot spots to keep on your radar:
- **Mouth of the Fox at Oshkosh** – Classic early‑ice and late‑open‑water walleye run. Work the current seams and the first break from shore or a small rig.
- **Wendt’s and Calumet Harbor area on the east shore** – Good perch and walleye territory as soon as ice firms up, and worth probing now where you can safely get at deeper water.

Live bait picks for today: medium shiners, fatheads, rosy reds, and spikes/waxies for panfish. On the artificial side, if I had to walk out with just three boxes, I’d grab: Jigging Raps, Rippin’ Raps, and a handful of 3–4 inch paddletail plastics on 1/4‑ounce heads in natural shad and perch.

Fish slow, stay mobile, and don’t push the ice—no walleye on Winnebago is worth a swim.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI