Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Lake Poygan
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Lake Poygan: what the data says
14,102-acre flowage near Winneconne. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Lake Poygan
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake Poygan
Spring white bass & hybrids on Lake Poygan hold shallow, usually 2 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Crappie fishing at Lake Poygan
Spring crappie on Lake Poygan hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Poygan
Spring yellow perch on Lake Poygan hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 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. Best bite is 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 | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Poygan
Spring bluegill on Lake Poygan hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 11 ft in summer and finish the year down in 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Poygan
Spring channel catfish on Lake Poygan hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday |
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.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 6.917961882741642 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 4.83037389949163 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Alder Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Poygan?
Lake Poygan is about 11 ft 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.
What fish are in Lake Poygan?
Anglers target walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, yellow perch, freshwater drum, common carp on Lake Poygan.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Poygan?
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 Poygan?
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 Butte des Morts · Big Green Lake · Lake Winnebago · Wolf River · Lake Puckaway · Shawano Lake
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
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.