By Mark Schram, Myfishingpartner.com
The Lake Winnebago Region continues to see above normal temperatures over the past several weeks, followed by some heavy rain and a significant cool down on Sunday. Water clarity on Lake Winnebago is restricted, with under 2 feet of visibility currently. Water temps have been hovering around 80 degrees, with a significant pull back of temps to 72 degrees on Monday 8.22.16. Floating weed debris is problematic for trollers, especially on the wind-blown side of the lake. Algae blooms can be seen in the water column, and pesky gnats are common on calm days.
Without a doubt, this is the lowest fishing boat pressure I’ve ever seen on Lake Winnebago. Nearly empty launches are common during the week, with just a few more trailers in the launch parking lots during the weekend. Some of the most popular community fishing holes and reefs remain virtually empty.
With the extremely warm water temperatures, fish are conserving energy and seeking oxygen rich areas and colder water. When water gets warm, fish typically head to the weeds to find shaded cover or go deep to seek colder, more oxygen filled water. Often times streams and creeks mouths can offer comfort for a stressed walleye also.
One tip for finding predator fish will be the baitfish schools, especially those at the surface. Bait fish are equally (or more) sensitive to water temperature. The baitfish will be attracted to favorable water conditions, bringing walleyes, white bass and other predator fish to prey upon the bait fish.
Walleye fishing remains slow on Lake Winnebago. The walleyes are lethargic and have full stomachs, making the perfect recipe for frustrated anglers. There has been some sporadic reports of better walleye activity near High Cliff park over the past week. An occasional walleye can be accidentally caught by perch fisherman using crawler chunks.
There has been a slight uptick in the perch activity, with a mix of average and large perch being caught, especially on the south end. Slip bobber were very effective this week, indicating the perch are slightly elevated off the bottom of the lake.
White bass are the main story line this week as large schools are forming system wide. The white bass are attacking the bait fish schools, pushing the bait toward the top of the water. The water will seem to be boiling, as minnows and white bass will be breaking the surface chasing and fleeing. From the skies, seagulls will be dive-bombing looking for easy meals of stunned minnows at the surface.
The white bass have been massive this year. They are a blast to catch, and are providing the best action on the lake currently. Mid-sized to small stick baits are the best crank bait to use; however, we love to use spinner baits (orange) like a Mepps to work these fish.
Given the current state of the lake, we may be in for a tough ice fishing year, given the amount of bait available currently. Initial long term weather predictions are for a cold and snowy winter, so ice fisherman rejoice….Is that too early?
On Lake Michigan, the salmon activity has declined due to warm water temperatures. There is still activity, but at depths of over 200 feet in limited numbers. The winds have shifted west, and the air temperatures have dropped, making for the likelihood there may be some cold water moving toward the western shores in in the near future, creating some better fishing conditions for salmon.
That’s it for now folks. A serious thank you to readers of these posts, we appreciate you! [email protected] is my email should you need to reach me.
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