Lake Winnebago Fishing Report: Walleye, Bass, and Panfish Bite Strong in Mid-May Conditions

This is Artificial Lure bringing you the Friday, May 16th, 2025 fishing report for Lake Winnebago and the surrounding area.

Sunrise kicked off at 5:34 AM this morning and sunset will be around 8:15 PM. We have a solid stretch of daylight for anglers, and the weather is shaping up to be a true mid-May classic: cool in the morning but warming comfortably into the mid-60s by afternoon. Expect patchy clouds and a light southwest breeze, making for perfect conditions to be out on the water. No tides to worry about on Winnebago, but fish activity is high with the warming trend and the moon phase lining up just right.

The spring walleye bite is rolling strong. Reports this week show solid numbers coming in, especially early mornings. Most folks are finding success along the eastern shoreline in 15-20 feet of water, with jigs tipped with minnows being the hot ticket. On the other side, working the rock reefs along the western shore with deep-running crankbaits like Reef Runners, Deep ThunderSticks, and Shad Raps in colors like blue, purple, chartreuse, orange, or natural shad patterns is also putting some nice 12- to 23-inch eyes in the boat. Limits are hitting by mid-morning for those who work the depths and stay mobile.

Bass action is red hot right now, especially for smallmouth. The rocky zones near High Cliff State Park have been coughing up some heavy three to five pound smallies. Soft plastics and spinnerbaits are your go-to, targeting shallow structure and transition areas. Largemouth are holding a bit deeper, but they’re moving into bays and river mouths as the water warms. Try wacky worms or slow-rolling spinnerbaits for best results.

Panfish are active in the shallows around weed beds. Perch and bluegill are eager for small jigs tipped with waxies or minnows, especially in the protected bays. The lake fly hatch has been heavy the past couple days, so expect some topwater action and bug-eating frenzy, but bring your patience for the mess.

Northern pike are making moves up near Neenah and the north end, hanging on weed edges. Toss big spinnerbaits or live suckers to tempt a fat one.

For hot spots this weekend, give Asylum Bay a go for walleye, and head to the rocks near High Cliff for smallmouth bass. The river mouth areas and northern inlets are also worth a look for pike and largemouth.

That’s the scoop from Lake Winnebago. Tight lines and happy fishing, folks!