Episode Details

Lake Winnebago sunrise this morning came at 6:41 AM, with sunset due at 7:05 PM, giving us a healthy chunk of light to work with. We're sitting in that *September sweet spot*—surface temps are cooling, fall turnover's begun, and that means fish are getting active and moving shallow. Weather-wise, this Friday’s starting off with patchy fog and calm winds, but expect it to shape up into a mild, partly cloudy day with highs flirting with 73°F. No tidal report for us inlanders, but current lake levels are stable and water clarity is decent after recent rains pushed through earlier in the week, so you can spot those fish movement patterns if you pay attention early.

Recent catch reports around Winnebago are positive. According to Wisconsin DNR updates, yellow perch action has been fantastic, especially in 15–20 feet of water—fish are taking live nightcrawlers and small minnows on slip bobber rigs, with some anglers pulling limits and sorting through a mix of sizes. Walleye bite’s been average but improving; locals are running crankbaits and three-way crawler rigs along rocky structure and breaklines, particularly around the north-west shore and the mouth of the Fox River. While you won’t see summer numbers, mornings and just before sundown have rewarded patient folks with keeper ‘eyes in the low 20-inch range.

White bass are making their September move—inline spinners and small spoons cast along current breaks in the river mouths are drawing strikes, especially when you see bait schools popping on the surface. Some good numbers of drum have shown up between Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, caught by folks bottom bouncing worm rigs. Catfish bite is still strong too—channel cats are hitting dip baits and cut nightcrawlers fished off bottom near Bowen Street Pier and just outside the river entries after dark.

Bluegills and crappie are biting for those willing to poke around the weed beds and brush piles on the west shore, particularly in front of Lakeside Park and south toward Black Wolf. Use tiny jigs tipped with waxies or a small piece of crawler; keep moving until you find an active school.

For bass, both largemouth and smallmouth are getting frisky as the water cools: plastics pitched to docks, rock points, and boat hoists have worked best. Smallmouth are stacking up on rocky shoals and points (try Jerabek’s Landing), hitting spinners early and crankbaits as the sun climbs higher.

Best lures for today:
- **Perch/Crappie:** Small jigs with chartreuse plastics, slip bobbers with minnows
- **Walleye:** Shad-pattern crankbaits, crawler harnesses, and three-way rigs with floating stickbaits
- **White Bass:** Inline spinners, blade baits, small silver spoons
- **Catfish:** Dip baits, cut nightcrawler on a weighted rig
- **Bluegill:** Tiny ice jigs tipped with wax worms
- **Bass:** Texas-rigged plastics (watermelon/red flake), shallow-running crankbaits, white spinnerbaits

Live bait’s always key for Winnebago’s panfish and walleye, but don’t overlook the effectiveness of soft plastics or small hard baits for those active bass and white bass schools.

Hot spots to check:
- Bowen Street Fishing Pier (Oshkosh): perch, white bass, cats, and panfish
- Mouth of the Fox River (Downtown Oshkosh): walleye, drum, perch
- Black Wolf Point (west shore): crappie, bluegill, largemouth
- fond du Lac lighthouse area: white bass and walleye at dawn/dusk

And a heads-up — as of DNR notices just yesterday, round goby have officially been spotted at the Bowen Street Pier, so please keep an eye out and report sightings. Do NOT use them for bait, and be sure to kill and bag any suspected gobies to help protect our local fish.

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