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Fishing Lake Butte des Morts: what the data says
8,857-acre flowage near Oshkosh. The lake tops out around 8 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Walleye fishing at Lake Butte des Morts
Spring walleye on Lake Butte des Morts hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Daggets Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake Butte des Morts
Start shallow in spring: white bass & hybrids sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Daggets Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Crappie fishing at Lake Butte des Morts
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Butte des Morts
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Butte des Morts
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Butte des Morts
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Daggets Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday |
Lake Butte des Morts also holds freshwater drum (2 to 8 ft in summer), common carp (2 to 8 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Daggets Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Fox River inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Butte des Morts?
Lake Butte des Morts is about 8 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Butte des Morts?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, yellow perch, freshwater drum, common carp on Lake Butte des Morts.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Butte des Morts?
Daggets Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Butte des Morts?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Lake Poygan · Lake Winnebago · Big Green Lake · Wolf River · Lake Puckaway · Fox River (Lower)
See how Lake Butte des Morts stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best channel catfish lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.