This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Winnebago fishing report for Friday, November 14th, 2025. It’s a crisp, classic fall morning on the big lake, with sunrise just after 6:48 a.m. and sunset coming up at 4:33 p.m. No tides here—it’s freshwater—but weather always calls the shots. As of this morning, conditions are cloudy with west winds rolling at 10 to 15 knots, gusting up to 20. Temps are starting out in the mid-30s and pushing into the low 40s by noon, perfect walleye jacket weather according to local marina bulletins from Bayshore Marina.
The boat launches are a touch slower this week with some reports of skim ice here and there, especially first light up in the upper river arms. As of the last Outdoor News regional update, the action’s “a little tougher” after chilly nights, but don’t let that fool you—there’s still fish to be caught for those working the late fall bite.
Let’s talk fish. Walleye are running deeper in the main lake basin—20 to 22 feet down, especially on those cloudy mud flats off Black Wolf and Asylum Bay. Locals switching between jigging live minnows and trolling slow with crawler harnesses are still bringing in limits, with the occasional 18- to 22-inch eye. If you’re after numbers, try small blade baits in firetiger or gold—just keep your cadence slow and hit bottom. The recent trend, shown on shows like The Next Bite, is favoring puppet minnows and rattling jigging spoons in perch colors near reef humps.
Yellow perch are still active along reef edges and close to the mouth of the Fox River, with catches coming on crappie rigs tipped with small fatheads or spikes. The best slabs have been 9 to 11 inches; reports from local bait shops say a lot of sorting, but steady buckets for patient anglers. White bass have started to slow, but the big pods can still be found blitzing shad on the west shore—casting small spinners or Mepps is your best bet.
Bonus: If you’re targeting bass, don’t sleep on the fall largemouth bite. As reported by lake guide Matt Stefan via the Bass Pro Tour circuit, a weightless Senko or Neko-rigged worm pitched along weed edges is still money, especially near docks or where you find a little green left in the weeds. For smallmouth, the rock reefs in 6-8 feet of water off Garlic Island and out from the Oshkosh flats are holding a few chunky fish. Crawl a tube jig or a DT-6 crankbait through the rocks, and don’t be afraid to keep moving.
For bait, most action’s on big fathead minnows and river shiners, but don’t overlook plastics as the fish start to school up tighter. Colorwise, stick with natural shad patterns for jigs and blades, darker options on overcast days.
For hot spots, put Black Wolf Reef and the mouth of the Fox near Oshkosh in your plan, especially around first light and the mid-afternoon “major” solunar period that’s peaking close to 2:12 to 4:12 p.m. today, as forecast by SolunarForecast. For shore anglers, the Fond du Lac lighthouse pier is still producing the odd walleye and white bass on minnows under slip bobbers at dusk.
No major ice yet, but be cautious in shallows—bring the spud bar in the coming weeks if these cold nights keep stacking up. Remember, winds can stir up mud fast on the east shore, so look for clear water and hard bottom, especially downwind.
That’s it for today from Lake Winnebago—thanks for tuning in to your local line. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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