28 August 2025
Walleye, Perch, and Bass Bite On Lake Winnebago - Fishing Report for East-Central Wisconsin
Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin Fishing Report - Daily
About
This is Artificial Lure coming to you with your evening fishing report for Lake Winnebago and the surrounding waters here in east-central Wisconsin, Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Weather’s been steady for late August – partly cloudy skies and temps holding in the mid-70s today. Winds were westerly around 10 to 15 knots, turning northwest late, with a light chop on the water. A cooler breeze is rolling in tonight, with a slight chance for thunderstorms, especially after midnight. So if you’re planning any night fishing, keep an eye on the sky and check tomorrow’s wind advisories from the National Weather Service—waves could pick up to four feet by late Friday. Water temps are still warm, but slowly starting to trend downward as we inch toward September.
Sunrise rolled in right about 6:18 AM, with sunset expected at 7:36 PM tonight, so you gained a few precious minutes on either end for that dawn or dusk bite.
Now, let’s get into the fish action—because it’s been a busy day out there. On the reefs around Oshkosh and down by the Fond du Lac river mouth, the yellow perch bite is absolute fire right now. Saw several boats anchored with slip bobber rigs and jigs tipped with crawlers, reporting near limits before 10 in the morning. Coot’s Lures posted that crawlers were outperforming leeches today, with the perch stacked up tight in 8 to 12 feet of water. If you’re on the east side, the weed beds out by Calumet County Park are producing the same story—hot perch action, all on crawlers.
Walleye are in their classic late-summer mode—scattered, but catchable if you cover some ground. Trollers working 18 to 23 feet along the main lake mud flats are pulling in eater-size ‘eyes on perch-colored crankbaits and bottom-bounced spinner harnesses. Trolling leadcore with smaller perch or silver/blue cranks is especially good for picking off those suspended fish, especially just before sunset. If you get a cloudy afternoon or into the evening, try bumping up from 1.2 to 1.5 mph. A few bigger fish—over that 20-inch slot—reported but most are in the 14–17 inch range, perfect for a fry.
Bass are spotty with the summer dog days still clinging on, but smallies can be coaxed from the rocky points and deeper drops using Ned rigs or drop shot setups with four-inch finesse worms in green pumpkin or black. Largemouth are hanging in the back bays; pitch a wacky rigged senko into the shade for the best results.
If you’re after bluegills, the cooler overnight temps turned them on again. Matthew of “matthew_fishing” said bluegills lit up as soon as the cold front passed, with most action in 6–9 feet near weed lines. Simple red worms or small plastics do the trick.
For bait and lures, here’s what’s hot right now:
- Perch: Slip bobbers and 1/32-ounce jigs with crawlers
- Walleye: #5–#7 crankbaits in perch, silver/blue, or bloodnose; spinner rigs with crawlers on gold or firetiger blades
- Bass: Ned rigs, drop shots, and wacky rigged senkos in natural shades
- Bluegill: Redworms, small ice jigs, or micro plastics
As for hotspots, two areas to circle for this week:
- The Oshkosh Flats—east and north of the Fox River entrance for perch
- The reefs near Wendt’s on the Lake west side—a great spot at sunrise or sunset for walleye and bonus smallies
Reports from local bait shops are backing all this up, with folks coming in smiling and coolers rattling. Remember, traffic is picking up with Labor Day weekend closing in; highways around Fond du Lac and Winnebago counties are open, but watch for speed limits and lane shifts especially on I-41 near Oshkosh.
Always check your local regulations for size and bag limits. Be courteous to your fellow anglers—there’s plenty of water and fish for all of us.
Thanks for tuning in to this Lake Winnebago fishing report. Be sure to subscribe for your regular dose of local tips and on-the-water action. This has been a Quiet Please Production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
Weather’s been steady for late August – partly cloudy skies and temps holding in the mid-70s today. Winds were westerly around 10 to 15 knots, turning northwest late, with a light chop on the water. A cooler breeze is rolling in tonight, with a slight chance for thunderstorms, especially after midnight. So if you’re planning any night fishing, keep an eye on the sky and check tomorrow’s wind advisories from the National Weather Service—waves could pick up to four feet by late Friday. Water temps are still warm, but slowly starting to trend downward as we inch toward September.
Sunrise rolled in right about 6:18 AM, with sunset expected at 7:36 PM tonight, so you gained a few precious minutes on either end for that dawn or dusk bite.
Now, let’s get into the fish action—because it’s been a busy day out there. On the reefs around Oshkosh and down by the Fond du Lac river mouth, the yellow perch bite is absolute fire right now. Saw several boats anchored with slip bobber rigs and jigs tipped with crawlers, reporting near limits before 10 in the morning. Coot’s Lures posted that crawlers were outperforming leeches today, with the perch stacked up tight in 8 to 12 feet of water. If you’re on the east side, the weed beds out by Calumet County Park are producing the same story—hot perch action, all on crawlers.
Walleye are in their classic late-summer mode—scattered, but catchable if you cover some ground. Trollers working 18 to 23 feet along the main lake mud flats are pulling in eater-size ‘eyes on perch-colored crankbaits and bottom-bounced spinner harnesses. Trolling leadcore with smaller perch or silver/blue cranks is especially good for picking off those suspended fish, especially just before sunset. If you get a cloudy afternoon or into the evening, try bumping up from 1.2 to 1.5 mph. A few bigger fish—over that 20-inch slot—reported but most are in the 14–17 inch range, perfect for a fry.
Bass are spotty with the summer dog days still clinging on, but smallies can be coaxed from the rocky points and deeper drops using Ned rigs or drop shot setups with four-inch finesse worms in green pumpkin or black. Largemouth are hanging in the back bays; pitch a wacky rigged senko into the shade for the best results.
If you’re after bluegills, the cooler overnight temps turned them on again. Matthew of “matthew_fishing” said bluegills lit up as soon as the cold front passed, with most action in 6–9 feet near weed lines. Simple red worms or small plastics do the trick.
For bait and lures, here’s what’s hot right now:
- Perch: Slip bobbers and 1/32-ounce jigs with crawlers
- Walleye: #5–#7 crankbaits in perch, silver/blue, or bloodnose; spinner rigs with crawlers on gold or firetiger blades
- Bass: Ned rigs, drop shots, and wacky rigged senkos in natural shades
- Bluegill: Redworms, small ice jigs, or micro plastics
As for hotspots, two areas to circle for this week:
- The Oshkosh Flats—east and north of the Fox River entrance for perch
- The reefs near Wendt’s on the Lake west side—a great spot at sunrise or sunset for walleye and bonus smallies
Reports from local bait shops are backing all this up, with folks coming in smiling and coolers rattling. Remember, traffic is picking up with Labor Day weekend closing in; highways around Fond du Lac and Winnebago counties are open, but watch for speed limits and lane shifts especially on I-41 near Oshkosh.
Always check your local regulations for size and bag limits. Be courteous to your fellow anglers—there’s plenty of water and fish for all of us.
Thanks for tuning in to this Lake Winnebago fishing report. Be sure to subscribe for your regular dose of local tips and on-the-water action. This has been a Quiet Please Production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn