Lake Winnebago: Walleyes Hot on East Shore, Perch Popping on Mud Flats

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Winnebago fishing report. We’ll start with the conditions. Weather Underground and the National Weather Service are calling for light south to southwest winds on Winnebago today, generally under 15 mph, with mild temps and a mix of sun and clouds. Air temps push into the 70s later, with a stable barometer most of the day. No tides here, of course, but that south breeze will stack a little warm surface water and bait against the east and northeast shorelines. According to time-and-date style almanac data for Oshkosh, sunrise is right around 5:10 a.m. and sunset just after 8:40 p.m., giving you a long low‑light window morning and evening. That first 90 minutes after sunrise and the last 90 before sunset are your best bets for active fish in the shallows. Recent chatter from local anglers’ Facebook groups and bait shops around Oshkosh and Fond du Lac reports a solid walleye bite, with a lot of eaters in the 14–18 inch range and a fair number of 20–22 inch fish mixed in. Perch action has picked up on mud flats and off rocky points, with nice 8–11 inch fish showing up in buckets. White bass schools are still roaming the main lake and river mouths, and a few bonus smallmouth and sheepshead are coming on the rocks. For walleyes, the best pattern lately has been running **crawler harnesses** and **slow‑death rigs** behind planer boards, 0.8 to 1.2 mph, over 8–14 feet along the east shore breaks and mid‑lake mud. Gold, copper, and purple blades have been the top producers in that slightly stained water. Anglers dragging **#5 and #7 Shad Rap–style crankbaits** in firetiger, purpledescent, and natural shiner are putting good numbers in the box once the sun gets higher. Perch fishermen are doing well with **crappie minnows** and **piece of crawler** on a simple slip bobber, set a foot off bottom around rock piles and off the ends of reefs. A small chartreuse or orange jig head has been out‑fishing bare hooks. If you’re chasing white bass or looking for fast action for the kids, small **inline spinners**, **1/8 oz twister tails**, and **small Kastmaster‑style spoons** in silver or white have been hot when you find birds working or see busting on the surface. Couple local hot spots to keep in mind: • **Calumet County Park area** on the east shore: that break line from about 8 to 15 feet has been steady for walleyes dragging harnesses and cranks. Work the edges of the pods you mark on your electronics and don’t be afraid to make big S‑turns to dial in speed and direction. • **Mouth of the Fox and outer flats off Oshkosh**: good mixed bag of white bass, walleyes, and the occasional smallmouth. Jigging with 1/4 oz jigs tipped with a fathead or plastic in chartreuse and white has been taking fish. Look for slightly stained water with a bit of current. Best natural bait today: **nightcrawlers** and **fathead minnows**. Best artificials: **crawler harnesses**, **shad‑style crankbaits**, and small **swimbaits** in shiner or perch patterns. Keep leaders a bit longer and line in the 10–12 lb range to handle rocks and sheepshead. That’s your Lake Winnebago report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn