Lake Winneconne Fishing
A 4,553-acre Wisconsin lake in Winnebago County, down to 9 feet.
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Lake Winneconne by the numbers
In Winnebago County, Lake Winneconne spreads over 4,553 acres of open water. Expect water as deep as 9 feet. Winneconne lies about 2 miles from the lake. It is a Northeast Region water for the WDNR. The DNR groups it as a complex warm dark lake.
The DNR musky layer includes it: self-sustaining via natural reproduction (cat. 1). The DNR fish list names catfish, northern pike, panfish, sturgeon, largemouth bass and walleye. There are 2 public boat landings on its shore. A 2017 satellite estimate puts clarity at 4 feet.
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Each species group in Lake Winneconne carries a WDNR abundance word.
| Fish group | WDNR abundance |
|---|---|
| Catfish | Abundant |
| Northern Pike | Abundant |
| Panfish | Abundant |
| Sturgeon | Abundant |
| Largemouth Bass | Common |
| Walleye | Common |
| Musky | Present |
| Smallmouth Bass | Present |
Lake Winneconne musky status: self-sustaining via natural reproduction (cat. 1). WDNR lists sturgeon around Lake Winneconne as naturally reproducing – ansri.
How the DNR describes the Lake Winneconne fishery
“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.
Boat landings on Lake Winneconne
- Lake Winneconne Park Boat Ramp2 lanes, more than 25 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Parks Department
- Lake Winneconne Access1 lane, Town of Winneconne
Boat landings close to Lake Winneconne
- North First Street Boat RampWolf River, 2 miles southeast
- Boom Bay Boat LandingLake Poygan, 2 miles northwest
- Butte Des Morts Village AccessButte des Morts, 5 miles southeast
- Yost Road AccessFox River, 5 miles south
- Rivermoor Road AccessLake Butte Des Morts, 5 miles southeast
- Lake Poygan Boat LandingLake Poygan, 5 miles west
WDNR Boat Access and Shore Fishing layers and Find a Lake landing table, checked October 2026.
What the water is like in Lake Winneconne
WDNR types Lake Winneconne as a drainage lake (a stream flows in and out).
Invasives verified in Lake Winneconne: curly-leaf pondweed, eurasian water-milfoil, faucet snail, flowering rush, purple loosestrife, rusty crayfish and zebra mussel. Leave the landing with an empty bilge and live well.
Ordinances in force on Lake Winneconne: behavior-safe riding capacities, racing, noise levels, slow-no-wake areas.
WDNR Find a Lake page, WDNR Landsat lake clarity layer, checked October 2026.
Fishing regulations for Lake Winneconne
Each row is the regulation the WDNR app prints for Lake Winneconne.
| 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. |
Every species on Lake Winneconne also falls under this note: Bag limits are for fish caught in all lakes in the WINNEBAGO CHAIN including CINCOE LAKE, LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS, LAKE POYGAN, LAKE WINNEBAGO, 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.
From the Winnebago County section of 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).
For pike Lake Winneconne is south of Hwy 10, and the Southern Bass Zone sets its bass dates.
WDNR Lake Regulation search and the 2026-2027 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026.
Contests held on Lake Winneconne
Upcoming Lake Winneconne events and past winners sit on a separate page.
Lakes near Lake Winneconne compared
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth ft | Landings | WDNR class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Winneconne | 4,553 | 9 | 2 | complex warm dark | |
| Lake Poygan | 5 miles west | 14,024 | 11 | 7 | complex warm dark |
| Lake Butte des Morts | 7 miles southeast | 8,581 | 9 | 3 | complex warm dark |
| Hogers Bayou | 7 miles south | 51 | 4 | 0 | complex riverine |
| Miller Bayou | 12 miles northwest | 18 | 3 | 0 | complex riverine |
| Partridge Lake, Waupaca County | 12 miles northwest | 1,185 | 4 | 0 | complex riverine |
WDNR Find a Lake, lake classification and boat access layers.
Around the area of Lake Winneconne
Lakes next door to Lake Winneconne
- Lake Poygan5 miles west
- Lake Butte des Morts7 miles southeast
- Hogers Bayou7 miles south
- Miller Bayou12 miles northwest
- Partridge Lake, Waupaca County12 miles northwest
Minnows and tackle close to Lake Winneconne
- Critters Wolf River Sportssporting goods store, Winneconne, 2 miles
- Noffke's Bait & Landing LLCbait and tackle shop, Winneconne, 5 miles
- Anchor Point Marinamarina, Fremont, 8 miles
- Fort Fremont Marinemarina, Fremont, 9 miles
- The Reel Shot, 2755 Algoma Blvdbait and tackle shop, Oshkosh, 10 miles
- Fremont Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Fremont, 10 miles
Towns within reach of Lake Winneconne
- Winneconne2 miles
- Butte des Morts4 miles
- Winchester5 miles
Lake Winneconne by county
- Winnebago Countyseat: Oshkosh
Piscifun spinning and casting reels for Lake Winneconne
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Know the fish of Lake Winneconne
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWSmidwest, Public domain
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Lake Winneconne: what Wisconsin anglers want to know
Which Wisconsin county is Lake Winneconne in?
Look in Winnebago County, WDNR Northeast Region, about 2 miles from Winneconne.
How many acres does the WDNR give Lake Winneconne?
4,553 acres of water and 9 feet at the deepest.
Can I back a trailer into Lake Winneconne at a public landing?
2 mapped landings, led by Lake Winneconne Park Boat Ramp.
Which fish does the WDNR list for Lake Winneconne?
On file: catfish (abundant), northern pike (abundant), panfish (abundant), sturgeon (abundant), largemouth bass (common), walleye (common) and muskellunge (present).
What size limits apply on Lake Winneconne?
Walleye, sauger and hybrids: No minimum length limit and the daily bag is 3, only one of which may be a sauger or hybrid.
What does a nonresident pay to fish Lake Winneconne?
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.
How clear does the water in Lake Winneconne run?
Satellite clarity about 4 feet (2017). WDNR class: complex warm dark. Type: drainage.
Which bait counter sits closest to Lake Winneconne?
Critters Wolf River Sports is about 2 miles from the lake.
Which invasives are in Lake Winneconne?
curly-leaf pondweed, eurasian water-milfoil, faucet snail, flowering rush, purple loosestrife and rusty crayfish, per the WDNR.
Hitch up the boat and haul it to Lake Winneconne
The license page has every Wisconsin fee and season.