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Lake Winnebago Fishing Report: Walleyes, Smallmouth and More on the Bite
This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Lake Winnebago fishing report for Friday, May 23rd, 2025.
Weather today is shaping up nicely with temperatures starting in the low 50s this morning and climbing to around 70 by afternoon. We've got a light easterly breeze at 5-8 mph, which should create just enough ripple on the water without making boat control too difficult. Sunrise was at 5:29 am, with sunset expected at 8:17 pm, giving you plenty of daylight hours to get those lines wet. No tides to worry about on our inland lake here, and water temps have climbed into the upper 50s in most areas.
The walleye bite remains strong this week, following that mid-May hot streak we saw. Folks are still having good luck with 15-23 inch fish, especially working the rocky reefs along the western shore and around Asylum Bay. Most successful anglers are trolling deep-running crankbaits - your Deep ThunderSticks, Reef Runners and Shad Raps are all producing well. Colors with blue, purple and chartreuse have been the ticket, though natural perch patterns are working too.
The smallmouth action has really heated up since last week, with some hefty bronzebacks in the 3-5 pound range being caught near rocky structure. Try tube jigs or drop shots with minnow imitations, especially around High Cliff State Park and the limestone outcroppings.
Perch and panfish are biting nicely in the shallows, particularly around weed beds and river mouths. Small jigs tipped with waxies or small minnows will do the trick. The lake fly hatch has been pretty intense the last few days, especially around Oshkosh, so be prepared for that nuisance if you're heading out early morning.
Hot spots this week include the Asylum Bay area for mixed bag action, the rocky points near Stockbridge for those bigger smallmouth, and Sheepshead Reef for consistent walleye. The Fox River mouth has been yielding good catches of white bass too, with anglers using small spinners and jigs.
For those targeting northern pike, try the weed edges north of Oshkosh with larger swimbaits or flashy spinnerbaits. We've seen a few nice northerns in the 30-inch class coming in this past week.
Remember your safety gear, and if you're bringing the kids, the panfish action in the bays will keep them entertained with nearly constant action. Tight lines, folks, and I'll see you on the water!
Weather today is shaping up nicely with temperatures starting in the low 50s this morning and climbing to around 70 by afternoon. We've got a light easterly breeze at 5-8 mph, which should create just enough ripple on the water without making boat control too difficult. Sunrise was at 5:29 am, with sunset expected at 8:17 pm, giving you plenty of daylight hours to get those lines wet. No tides to worry about on our inland lake here, and water temps have climbed into the upper 50s in most areas.
The walleye bite remains strong this week, following that mid-May hot streak we saw. Folks are still having good luck with 15-23 inch fish, especially working the rocky reefs along the western shore and around Asylum Bay. Most successful anglers are trolling deep-running crankbaits - your Deep ThunderSticks, Reef Runners and Shad Raps are all producing well. Colors with blue, purple and chartreuse have been the ticket, though natural perch patterns are working too.
The smallmouth action has really heated up since last week, with some hefty bronzebacks in the 3-5 pound range being caught near rocky structure. Try tube jigs or drop shots with minnow imitations, especially around High Cliff State Park and the limestone outcroppings.
Perch and panfish are biting nicely in the shallows, particularly around weed beds and river mouths. Small jigs tipped with waxies or small minnows will do the trick. The lake fly hatch has been pretty intense the last few days, especially around Oshkosh, so be prepared for that nuisance if you're heading out early morning.
Hot spots this week include the Asylum Bay area for mixed bag action, the rocky points near Stockbridge for those bigger smallmouth, and Sheepshead Reef for consistent walleye. The Fox River mouth has been yielding good catches of white bass too, with anglers using small spinners and jigs.
For those targeting northern pike, try the weed edges north of Oshkosh with larger swimbaits or flashy spinnerbaits. We've seen a few nice northerns in the 30-inch class coming in this past week.
Remember your safety gear, and if you're bringing the kids, the panfish action in the bays will keep them entertained with nearly constant action. Tight lines, folks, and I'll see you on the water!
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By Quiet. PleaseThis is Artificial Lure checking in with your Lake Winnebago fishing report for Friday, May 23rd, 2025.
Weather today is shaping up nicely with temperatures starting in the low 50s this morning and climbing to around 70 by afternoon. We've got a light easterly breeze at 5-8 mph, which should create just enough ripple on the water without making boat control too difficult. Sunrise was at 5:29 am, with sunset expected at 8:17 pm, giving you plenty of daylight hours to get those lines wet. No tides to worry about on our inland lake here, and water temps have climbed into the upper 50s in most areas.
The walleye bite remains strong this week, following that mid-May hot streak we saw. Folks are still having good luck with 15-23 inch fish, especially working the rocky reefs along the western shore and around Asylum Bay. Most successful anglers are trolling deep-running crankbaits - your Deep ThunderSticks, Reef Runners and Shad Raps are all producing well. Colors with blue, purple and chartreuse have been the ticket, though natural perch patterns are working too.
The smallmouth action has really heated up since last week, with some hefty bronzebacks in the 3-5 pound range being caught near rocky structure. Try tube jigs or drop shots with minnow imitations, especially around High Cliff State Park and the limestone outcroppings.
Perch and panfish are biting nicely in the shallows, particularly around weed beds and river mouths. Small jigs tipped with waxies or small minnows will do the trick. The lake fly hatch has been pretty intense the last few days, especially around Oshkosh, so be prepared for that nuisance if you're heading out early morning.
Hot spots this week include the Asylum Bay area for mixed bag action, the rocky points near Stockbridge for those bigger smallmouth, and Sheepshead Reef for consistent walleye. The Fox River mouth has been yielding good catches of white bass too, with anglers using small spinners and jigs.
For those targeting northern pike, try the weed edges north of Oshkosh with larger swimbaits or flashy spinnerbaits. We've seen a few nice northerns in the 30-inch class coming in this past week.
Remember your safety gear, and if you're bringing the kids, the panfish action in the bays will keep them entertained with nearly constant action. Tight lines, folks, and I'll see you on the water!
Weather today is shaping up nicely with temperatures starting in the low 50s this morning and climbing to around 70 by afternoon. We've got a light easterly breeze at 5-8 mph, which should create just enough ripple on the water without making boat control too difficult. Sunrise was at 5:29 am, with sunset expected at 8:17 pm, giving you plenty of daylight hours to get those lines wet. No tides to worry about on our inland lake here, and water temps have climbed into the upper 50s in most areas.
The walleye bite remains strong this week, following that mid-May hot streak we saw. Folks are still having good luck with 15-23 inch fish, especially working the rocky reefs along the western shore and around Asylum Bay. Most successful anglers are trolling deep-running crankbaits - your Deep ThunderSticks, Reef Runners and Shad Raps are all producing well. Colors with blue, purple and chartreuse have been the ticket, though natural perch patterns are working too.
The smallmouth action has really heated up since last week, with some hefty bronzebacks in the 3-5 pound range being caught near rocky structure. Try tube jigs or drop shots with minnow imitations, especially around High Cliff State Park and the limestone outcroppings.
Perch and panfish are biting nicely in the shallows, particularly around weed beds and river mouths. Small jigs tipped with waxies or small minnows will do the trick. The lake fly hatch has been pretty intense the last few days, especially around Oshkosh, so be prepared for that nuisance if you're heading out early morning.
Hot spots this week include the Asylum Bay area for mixed bag action, the rocky points near Stockbridge for those bigger smallmouth, and Sheepshead Reef for consistent walleye. The Fox River mouth has been yielding good catches of white bass too, with anglers using small spinners and jigs.
For those targeting northern pike, try the weed edges north of Oshkosh with larger swimbaits or flashy spinnerbaits. We've seen a few nice northerns in the 30-inch class coming in this past week.
Remember your safety gear, and if you're bringing the kids, the panfish action in the bays will keep them entertained with nearly constant action. Tight lines, folks, and I'll see you on the water!