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137,700-acre lake near Oshkosh. Wisconsin's largest inland lake; shallow, fertile, and famous for walleye. The lake tops out around 21 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 6 to 21 ft game here, winter a 6 to 21 ft one. The chart's best answer is Gravel shoal — gravel shoal, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring lake sturgeon on Lake Winnebago hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 18 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Fond du Lac River inflow (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 2 to 12 ft. Summer is a 6 to 21 ft game here, winter a 6 to 21 ft one. Start at Shoreline point. It's a point holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (6 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 5 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Spring yellow perch on Lake Winnebago hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 21 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. The chart's best answer is Weed flat — weed flat, 7 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (7 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 21 ft, wintering in 6 to 21 ft. Winter smallmouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 17 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Weed flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (7 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Weed flat (7 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Lake Winnebago also holds crappie (6 to 21 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), channel catfish (6 to 21 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (6 to 21 ft in summer), freshwater drum (6 to 21 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Lake Winnebago carries 38 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 18 ft down.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 1,501 | ~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 Winnebago specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Lake Winnebago is about 21 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target walleye, lake sturgeon, white bass, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, freshwater drum, common carp on Lake Winnebago.
Gravel shoal is the top-rated area: a gravel shoal in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Winnebago was most recently stocked 2024 with 1,501 muskellunge (large fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Winnebago 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 Butte des Morts 12 mi · Chilton Millpond 75 12 mi · Giltners Lake 14 mi · Wolf Lake 14 mi · Hayton Pond 104 15 mi · Little Lake Butte Des Morts 15 mi · Mischos Pond 18 mi · Hogers Bayou 18 mi · Lake Winneconne 18 mi · DeNeveu Lake 19 mi · Rush Lake 20 mi · Bullhead Lake 20 mi
See how Lake Winnebago stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best white bass lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Winnebago County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.