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14,102-acre flowage near Winneconne. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 14,238 acres of water rimmed by 33.5 miles of bank, broken up by an island. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 8 mi, about 4.7 mi across. The water lies in Winnebago County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Winneconne, 5 mi east of here.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 3 to 11 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 11 ft, winter 3 to 11 ft. Start at Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Creek inflow (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass & hybrids in 2 to 11 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 11 ft through summer, 3 to 11 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 6 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 11 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 11 ft, winter 3 to 11 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. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 11 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 11 ft covers summer, 3 to 11 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
Lake Poygan also holds freshwater drum (3 to 11 ft in summer), common carp (2 to 11 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 22 structure features on Lake Poygan; the deepest is Deep basin at about 9 ft.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 2,500 | ~11.4" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Poygan specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Lake Poygan is about 11 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target walleye, white bass & hybrids, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, channel catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Lake Poygan.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Yes — per Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary records, Lake Poygan was most recently stocked 2024 with 2,500 muskellunge (large fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Poygan is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Winneconne 5 mi · Hogers Bayou 8 mi · Partridge Lake 9 mi · Auroraville Millpond 10 mi · Clarks Millpond 11 mi · Lake Butte des Morts 11 mi · Taylor Lake 13 mi · Big Cedar Lake 13 mi · Weyauwega Lake 14 mi · Middle Lake 14 mi · Kristine Lake 2 14 mi · Partridge Crop Lake 14 mi
See how Lake Poygan stacks up: best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best channel catfish lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Winnebago County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.