23 August 2025
Lake Winnebago Fishing Report: Walleye, Perch, and Catfish Biting Strong Despite Choppy Waters
Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin Fishing Report - Daily
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Lake Winnebago’s Friday night storms have left waters choppy this Saturday morning, but fish are biting for those willing to weather a brisk southwest breeze. The NWS reports light SW winds at 5 to 10 knots, waves under 2 feet, but keep an eye on passing showers; the air’s warm and humid, typical for late August, with sunrise at 6:09 AM and sunset at 7:44 PM. Local anglers are buzzing—last night’s rainfall cooled surface temps and perked up the shallow bite. According to the Lake Winnebago Daily Fishing Report, peak fish activity today is expected at noon and then again in the evening, with walleye, perch, and catfish being landed in solid numbers.
Tide update: It was high at 8:09 AM, rising to 1.21 feet. Afternoons bring a gentle ebb at 2:10 PM, so plan to chase fish during these moving water windows, especially near channel edges and rocky bars; that’s when walleye push up and white bass school tight.
Walleye action is best on deeper flats and reefs off Asylum Bay and near the Fond du Lac River mouth. Local reports show limits taken trolling crawler harnesses and fire-tiger crankbaits in 14-18 feet. Jigging a gold or purple blade bait is also producing, especially towards sunset when fish push higher up the structure. The perch bite is solid around Oshkosh’s western shoreline and off Garlic Island, mainly on smaller minnows or pieces of worm fished with a slip bobber. Folks working weed edges at sunrise picked up some slab crappie yesterday—Larry Smith Outdoors on YouTube recommends chartreuse or pink tube jigs for those bigger summer slabs.
Catfish and drum are all over the southern basin, responding best to cut bait on a #2 hook near Bong Recreational Area. Channel cats up to 10 lbs reported, with most actively feeding near dusk on stink bait or shrimp.
The bass crowd is finding consistent largemouth action early and late in reeds and docks around Fisherman Road and Lakeside Park. Shad pattern squarebill crankbaits and black-and-blue Senko worms did damage. Instagram user reals_fishn shares footage from last night—lots of shallow feeding just before the storm hit.
Best bait today: Medium golden shiners for walleye and perch, and fresh-cut sucker for catfish. Hot lures are fire-tiger and chartreuse crankbaits. For panfish, stick to pink and chartreuse tubes or plain worms. Local tackle shops report soft plastics and slow presentations outperforming metal baits after big rain events.
Top hot spots:
- Asylum Bay Reef for walleye, especially first-light before boat traffic picks up.
- Garlic Island for perch and crappie, with fish holding in 8-12 feet and midday bringing bigger bites.
- Fisherman Road reeds for largemouth bass, best before 9 AM or after 6 PM.
The forecast stays mixed—partly cloudy, a 30% chance of showers this afternoon, but stable barometric pressure should keep fish active through sunset. Before heading out, stop at your favorite local bait shop for the freshest live bait and latest tips; they’re seeing steady traffic and updated info by the hour.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Winnebago fishing report. Remember to subscribe for your daily bite updates and bring stories back to the dock.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
Tide update: It was high at 8:09 AM, rising to 1.21 feet. Afternoons bring a gentle ebb at 2:10 PM, so plan to chase fish during these moving water windows, especially near channel edges and rocky bars; that’s when walleye push up and white bass school tight.
Walleye action is best on deeper flats and reefs off Asylum Bay and near the Fond du Lac River mouth. Local reports show limits taken trolling crawler harnesses and fire-tiger crankbaits in 14-18 feet. Jigging a gold or purple blade bait is also producing, especially towards sunset when fish push higher up the structure. The perch bite is solid around Oshkosh’s western shoreline and off Garlic Island, mainly on smaller minnows or pieces of worm fished with a slip bobber. Folks working weed edges at sunrise picked up some slab crappie yesterday—Larry Smith Outdoors on YouTube recommends chartreuse or pink tube jigs for those bigger summer slabs.
Catfish and drum are all over the southern basin, responding best to cut bait on a #2 hook near Bong Recreational Area. Channel cats up to 10 lbs reported, with most actively feeding near dusk on stink bait or shrimp.
The bass crowd is finding consistent largemouth action early and late in reeds and docks around Fisherman Road and Lakeside Park. Shad pattern squarebill crankbaits and black-and-blue Senko worms did damage. Instagram user reals_fishn shares footage from last night—lots of shallow feeding just before the storm hit.
Best bait today: Medium golden shiners for walleye and perch, and fresh-cut sucker for catfish. Hot lures are fire-tiger and chartreuse crankbaits. For panfish, stick to pink and chartreuse tubes or plain worms. Local tackle shops report soft plastics and slow presentations outperforming metal baits after big rain events.
Top hot spots:
- Asylum Bay Reef for walleye, especially first-light before boat traffic picks up.
- Garlic Island for perch and crappie, with fish holding in 8-12 feet and midday bringing bigger bites.
- Fisherman Road reeds for largemouth bass, best before 9 AM or after 6 PM.
The forecast stays mixed—partly cloudy, a 30% chance of showers this afternoon, but stable barometric pressure should keep fish active through sunset. Before heading out, stop at your favorite local bait shop for the freshest live bait and latest tips; they’re seeing steady traffic and updated info by the hour.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Winnebago fishing report. Remember to subscribe for your daily bite updates and bring stories back to the dock.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn