Artificial Lure here with your Lake Winnebago fishing report for Friday, May 30th, 2025. The sun crested the horizon at 5:31 this morning and you’ll have until sunset at 8:18 PM to get your lines wet. Weather today is looking just about perfect—mild temps and manageable winds after last week’s cold front, which has fired up the fish across the system. No tides to worry about on Winnebago, just water levels influenced by wind and recent rains.

Walleye action continues strong, especially along the east shore and those classic south-end reefs. The bite’s best from early morning through mid-afternoon, with peak activity right around 2 to 4 PM. Most folks are finding walleyes in 15-20 feet of water, running jigs tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers. Jigging Raps and blade baits have also been hot in deeper pockets as the sun climbs. Several groups have reported full limits before noon the last few mornings, especially when they find a little current or wind pushing bait[Lake-Link.com, Spreaker].

Bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, are pushing shallow now. The rocky shorelines and docks are holding good numbers—Senko-style worms, creature baits, and slow-rolled plastics are working well in the cool mornings. By late morning, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits around weed edges are catching the more aggressive fish. There’s plenty of chatter about smallmouth in the three- to five-pound class, mostly out of the south and southwest corners near Fond du Lac and High Cliff[Spreaker, Kradl].

Northern pike are showing up more too, especially near river mouths and the northern bays where the water’s a touch warmer. Throw larger spinners or swimbaits for your best shot at a trophy. And don’t sleep on the panfish bite, either—crappies and bluegills are moving up into the shallows. Small jigs tipped with waxworms or pieces of crawler under a slip bobber are catching them steady[Kradl].

For today’s hot spots, make sure to hit:
- Asylum Bay for a mixed bag of walleye and pike
- Fond du Lac river mouth area for steady bites of just about everything
- High Cliff State Park shoreline for some of the lake’s best smallmouth action

If you’re after the best results, stick with jigs tipped with minnows or crawlers for walleye, soft plastics for bass, and keep a few spinnerbaits handy for pike. Waxworms and small jigs under a slip bobber are tough to beat for panfish.

Remember to focus on wind-blown shorelines in the afternoon—warming water draws in bait, and that’s where the big fish like to feed. Make sure your license is up to date and always respect the size and bag limits on your catch.

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