By Mark Schram, myfishingpartner.com
Lake Winnebago and the region experienced multiple levels of the spring season this week, with warm temperatures and snow flurries. Main lake water temperatures remained consistent throughout most of the week. Fond du Lac and Oshkosh recorded water temperatures around 60 degrees, with Neenah checking in at 53 degrees. Temperatures have remained consistent between 55-60 degrees since April 23rd, stagnating the movement of fish from the upper lakes and rivers. By Sunday, temperatures had fallen back to 53 degrees in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac.
Water temps have declined on the Wolf River, peaking out at 64 degrees, and then declining to 53 degrees as of Sunday.
After the heavy winds of the weekend, the lake has been stirred up and the water clarity has been severely compromised on the south end. The northern part of Lake Winnebago continues to have a clear water column. A lake fly hatch occurred mid-week, and stalled with the sub-40-degree air temperatures.
The result of the fluctuations in weather has caused pain for many anglers. Fishing has been very slow, as the cold front reduced angler traffic, along with the activity levels of all species of fish. After the fishing opener last weekend, many fishermen have moved to other lakes across WI.
On Lake Winnebago, the crappie bite has been the storyline. Although not as intense as previous years, the crappie spawn has been occurring. Large numbers of spawners have moved into the warm water harbors and backwaters. A few of the fish have completed their spawn, and are returning to the shallow water reefs on Lake Winnebago near the spawning grounds. Minnows are the key attractant with either a mini-mite or jig.
The walleyes are scattered across the lake in reduced numbers currently.
Some anglers have been questioning if the Winnebago system has suffered a reduction in the walleye population, since these fish have been less numerous than in previous years. My humble answer is no. Weed growth has been limited in 2016, water temperatures are well below normal, and the heavy flows of walleyes returning from the western and northern parts of the system is not complete. There needs to be a trigger to push fish out of the rivers, such as falling water levels or warm water temperatures.
This season is very reminiscent of a few years ago when a cold spring delayed the return of the walleyes to Lake Winnebago. In that year, the walleyes came pouring out of the river the first week of June, and a fantastic year was recorded.
The western reefs and some of the bays are holding limited numbers of walleyes. The lake fly hatch has been providing additional food sources on the main lake, and hopefully drawing more fish out of the rivers. There also have been some walleyes staged outside of the reefs in 8-11 feet, where targeted trolling methods are also producing fish. The mud basin is fairly vacant.
There have been a few fish on the eastern shore structure and suspended just outside those areas. Sheephead are common.
In the Fox River in Oshkosh, male walleyes continue to be present along with large numbers of white bass. Catfish activity has picked up significantly on the Fox and the Wolf river. Cut bait is the preferred choice.
The white bass fishing remains solid in the Wolf River, especially around Fremont. With the cold front, I would expect this to continue for at least another 7-10 days or so. The Fond du Lac River also has a minor run of white bass, which is occurring now. Mepps spinners are the best lure for these fish from shore or kayak. Reports of Northern Pike are not uncommon.
The entire system needs a few days of warmth to move fish to where we would expect them this time of year. I would say we are still in late April trends, and fishing methods and locations must reflect that fact in order to be successful currently.
On Green Bay, it was a very rough week with inactivate fish and small craft advisories. There remains a lot of males in the Fox River which are aggressively feeding. Vincent’s Reef held some numbers of walleyes this weekend, mainly average in size.
Once we get past this front, we can expect much better catch rates of walleyes, white bass and crappies. Forward looking forecasts show above normal temperatures by next weekend.
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