Lake Winnebago Fishing
A 131,939-acre Wisconsin lake in Winnebago County, Calumet County and Fond du Lac County, down to 21 feet.
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Lake Winnebago, the essentials
Lake Winnebago covers 131,939 acres in Winnebago County, Calumet County and Fond du Lac County, according to the WDNR Find a Lake record. The WDNR gives a maximum depth of 21 feet. Groceries and gas are in Brothertown, around 5 miles from the water. On the WDNR map it belongs to the Northeast Region. In the DNR lake classification it is complex warm dark.
It is on the WDNR musky waters list (self-sustaining via natural reproduction (cat. 1)). WDNR lists catfish, panfish, sturgeon, walleye, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass for it. Boaters use 20 public boat landings. Clarity from satellite data averages 2.8 feet (2017).
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WDNR rates each fish group in Lake Winnebago as abundant, common or present.
| Fish group | WDNR abundance |
|---|---|
| Catfish | Abundant |
| Panfish | Abundant |
| Sturgeon | Abundant |
| Walleye | Abundant |
| Largemouth Bass | Common |
| Smallmouth Bass | Common |
| Musky | Present |
| Northern Pike | Present |
Musky in Lake Winnebago fall under self-sustaining via natural reproduction (cat. 1).
Fishery outlook for Lake Winnebago by class
“Complex warm dark lakes often support great action fisheries for black crappie, and have potential to produced quality walleye, northern pike, and/or muskellunge fisheries.”
WDNR Find a Lake fish list and abundance, WDNR lake classification and fisheries designation layers, checked October 2026.
Putting in on Lake Winnebago
- Calumet County Park Access5 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Calumet County Parks Dept.
- Columbia Park Boat Launch5 lanes, more than 50 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, fish cleaning, Parks & Trails Dept.
- Lakeside Park – West Boat Ramp5 lanes, more than 50 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks Division
- Menominee Park Boat Ramp5 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks & Forestry Division
- Stockbridge Harbor5 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Calumet County Parks Dept.
- Fisherman's Park Boat Ramp4 lanes, 21 to 50 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Town of Taycheedah
- Grundman Park Boat Landing4 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks Department
- High Cliff State Park Marina4 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, High Cliff State Park
- Hwy 45 Wayside Park Boat Ramp4 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks & Trails Dept.
- Lakeside Park Boat Ramp on Lake Winnebago4 lanes, 16 to 20 trailer stalls, boarding dock, Parks Division
- Recreation Park Boat Ramp4 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, Parks & Recreation Department
- Brothertown Harbor3 lanes, 16 to 20 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, public
- 24th Avenue Boat Launch2 lanes, 21 to 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks & Forestry Division
- Asylum Point Park & Boat Landing2 lanes, 21 to 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks Department
- Fugleburg Park Boat Ramp2 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks & Forestry Division
- Mill Street Boat Ramp2 lanes, 1 to 5 trailer stalls, boarding dock, Parks & Forestry Division
- Nagy Park/Black Wolf Boat Landing2 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks Department
- Doemel Point Access1 lane, 1 to 5 trailer stalls, Parks Department
- Ecker Lakeland Road Access1 lane, 1 to 5 trailer stalls, Town of Brothertown
- Lake Winnebago Access1 lane, Parks & Forestry Division
Nearby ramps for Lake Winnebago
- William Steiger Park Boat RampFox River, 7 miles west
- Rainbow Park Boat RampFox River, 8 miles west
- Doty Park Boat RampLake Winnebago, 12 miles north
WDNR Boat Access and Shore Fishing layers and Find a Lake landing table, checked October 2026.
Lake Winnebago clarity and bottom
Lake Winnebago is a drainage lake (a stream flows in and out).
The DNR lists asiatic clam (corbicula), chinese mystery snail, curly-leaf pondweed, eurasian water-milfoil, faucet snail, flowering rush, hybrid eurasian / northern water-milfoil and phragmites (non-native) as invasive species in Lake Winnebago. Never move live bait or water from it.
Posted ordinances for Lake Winnebago address swimming regulations, behavior-safe riding capacities, racing, slow-no-wake areas, swimming area, waterway markers.
WDNR Find a Lake page, WDNR Landsat lake clarity layer, checked October 2026.
Water level at Lake Winnebago
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Winnebago At Oshkosh, Wi | 2.93 ft gage height, 746.84 ft lake elevation | Oct 22 4:00 am |
| Lake Winnebago Near Stockbridge, Wi | 2.85 ft gage height, 746.92 ft lake elevation | Oct 22 3:00 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 22, 2026 4:33 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Limits by species on Lake Winnebago
The rows below come from the WDNR Lake Regulation record for Lake Winnebago, season by season.
| Species | Season | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye, sauger and hybrids | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag is 3, only one of which may be a sauger or hybrid. |
| Sauger and hybrids | Open All Year | The daily bag limit is 1. |
| Muskellunge and hybrids | May 2, 2026 to December 31, 2026 on open water | The minimum length limit is 50" and the daily bag limit is 1. |
| Northern pike | May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027 | The minimum length limit is 26" and the daily bag limit is 2. |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | Open All Year | The minimum length limit is 14" and the daily bag limit is 5. |
| Panfish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25. |
| Catfish | Open All Year | See specific species regulations in this group. |
| Channel catfish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25 in total, but only 24 if one flathead catfish is included. |
| Flathead catfish | May 2, 2026 to September 30, 2026 | The minimum length is 30, but flathead catfish from 36" to 42" may not be kept.The daily bag limit is 1. |
| Lake sturgeon | Closed | No fishing allowed. |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | Closed | No fishing allowed. |
| Cisco and whitefish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10. |
| Rock, yellow and white bass | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited. |
| Bullheads | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited. |
General WDNR note for Lake Winnebago: Bag limits are for fish caught in all lakes in the WINNEBAGO CHAIN including CINCOE LAKE, LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS, LAKE POYGAN, LAKE WINNECONNE, PARTRIDGE CROP LAKE, PARTRIDGE LAKE Catch and release fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round unless otherwise noted. Motor Trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures, per angler. Open all year for all species except muskellunge, northern pike, flathead catfish and lake sturgeon.
Winnebago County note in the guide: The countywide daily bag limit on catfish is 25, except on Winnebago system waters (see page 94). Motor trolling is permitted countywide (three hooks, baits or lures per person).
The Hwy 10 pike line puts Lake Winnebago on its south side; bass rows follow the Southern Bass Zone.
WDNR Lake Regulation search and the 2026-2027 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026.
WDNR hatchery releases in Lake Winnebago
From 2024 through 2024 the DNR logged 1 stockings in Lake Winnebago totaling 1,501 fish.
| Year | Species | Size | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Muskellunge | large fingerling | 11.4 in | 1,501 |
WDNR Fish Stocking Summary, stocking years 2023 to 2025. Wisconsin stocking.
Lake Winnebago in the WDNR record list
| Species | Weight | Date | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Sturgeon | 212 lbs. 3.2 oz. | 2010-02-13 | alternate method |
| Yellow Perch | 3 lbs. 4 oz. | 1954 | hook and line |
| Logperch | 0 lbs. 0.8 oz. | 2023-09-09 | hook and line |
WDNR record fish list, revised September 2026; angler names left out. All Wisconsin records.
WDNR-permitted events on Lake Winnebago
Dates, sponsors and results for Lake Winnebago have a page of their own.
Nearby lakes and Lake Winnebago in one table
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth ft | Landings | WDNR class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Winnebago | 131,939 | 21 | 20 | complex warm dark | |
| Lake Butte des Morts | 12 miles west | 8,581 | 9 | 3 | complex warm dark |
| Chilton Millpond 75 | 12 miles east | 11 | 7 | 1 | simple riverine |
| Little Lake Butte Des Morts | 14 miles north | 1,200 | 18 | 2 | complex riverine |
| Wolf Lake, Fond du Lac County | 15 miles southeast | 75 | 47 | 1 | complex warm dark |
| Hogers Bayou | 18 miles west | 51 | 4 | 0 | complex riverine |
WDNR Find a Lake, lake classification and boat access layers.
Places near Lake Winnebago
Wisconsin lakes around Lake Winnebago
- Lake Butte des Morts12 miles west
- Chilton Millpond 7512 miles east
- Little Lake Butte Des Morts14 miles north
- Wolf Lake, Fond du Lac County15 miles southeast
- Hogers Bayou18 miles west
Where anglers buy bait around Lake Winnebago
- Anglin' Adventures Fishing Guide Servicebait and tackle shop, Oshkosh, 6 miles
- Bayshore Marina & Storagemarina, Oshkosh, 6 miles
- Pioneer Marinamarina, Oshkosh, 6 miles
- Sweetwater Performance Centermarina, Oshkosh, 6 miles
- Gehrke's Marine & Gun Supplybait and tackle shop, Oshkosh, 6 miles
- Tews Two Sporting Goodsbait and tackle shop, Oshkosh, 6 miles
Guides who fish Lake Winnebago
- Pike Pole Fishing Guide ServiceGreen Bay charter, Green Bay, Edgerton, (608) 290-3929
Home bases for a trip to Lake Winnebago
- Brothertown5 miles
- Stockbridge6 miles
- Oshkosh8 miles
County guides for Lake Winnebago
- Winnebago Countyseat: Oshkosh
- Calumet Countyseat: Chilton
- Fond du Lac Countyseat: Fond du Lac
Piscifun picks matched to Lake Winnebago
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Species you may hook at Lake Winnebago
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Engbretson, Eric / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Questions anglers bring up about Lake Winnebago
Which WDNR region covers Lake Winnebago?
It sits in Winnebago County, Calumet County and Fond du Lac County, WDNR Northeast Region, about 5 miles from Brothertown.
How large and deep is Lake Winnebago?
WDNR lists 131,939 acres and 21 feet at the deepest.
Is there a public boat landing on Lake Winnebago?
The WDNR maps 20 mapped landings; start with Calumet County Park Access.
What can a Wisconsin angler catch in Lake Winnebago?
Expect catfish (abundant), panfish (abundant), sturgeon (abundant), walleye (abundant), largemouth bass (common), smallmouth bass (common) and muskellunge (present).
Does Lake Winnebago have its own WDNR regulations?
The Walleye, sauger and hybrids entry reads No minimum length limit and the daily bag is 3, only one of which may be a sauger or hybrid.
Can out-of-state visitors fish Lake Winnebago on a Wisconsin license?
Anglers 16 and older need a Wisconsin fishing license: $20 a year for residents and $55 for nonresidents, with a $5 first-time buyer rate for residents.
Is Lake Winnebago a seepage or drainage lake?
Satellite clarity about 2.8 feet (2017). WDNR class: complex warm dark. Type: drainage.
Which tackle shop on our list is nearest Lake Winnebago?
Try Anglin' Adventures Fishing Guide Service, around 6 miles off.
Does the WDNR stock fish in Lake Winnebago?
The 2024 record lists 1,501 muskellunge.
Plan a Wisconsin lake day on Lake Winnebago
Read the lake rules above, then pick a landing.