Walleye, perch, and white bass are waking up on Winnebago, but it’s still an early ice, play-it-safe kind of bite. Ice is just locking up across much of the main lake, with sketchy spots near current and landings, so today is more about smart poking around than roaming wild.
## Weather and conditions
Cold air has settled in over the Fox Valley with highs staying well below freezing and a stiff north to northwest breeze keeping windchills in the “dress-like-mid-January” range. Skies are generally clear to partly cloudy, which helps build ice overnight but keeps things crisp all day. With daylight this time of year, plan on a short window: sunrise is around 7:15 a.m. and sunset near 4:15 p.m., so prime fishing is that first light to mid-morning push and again the last hour before dark.
## Ice and safety
The lake only just locked up, and thickness is extremely inconsistent, especially on the main basin and anywhere near the mouths of the Fox and Wolf rivers or by Oshkosh and Stockbridge. Locals are creeping out on foot with spuds, not machines, checking every step and avoiding any pressure cracks or darker ice. Stay shallow and close to shore, wear picks, bring a buddy, and don’t follow old tracks like they’re gospel.
## Fish activity and recent catches
Walleye are sliding up on the first breaks and shallow rock at dusk and after dark, with a modest but steady pick of eater-sized fish for those willing to grind and move. Jumbo perch are showing in pockets on the east shore mud and off Oshkosh flats, but they’re roaming; most folks are sorting through dinks for a half dozen good ones. White bass are scattered, popping up over mid-depth flats when the sun is high, but they’ve been more bonus fish than a sure thing so far.
## Best lures and bait
For walleye, think small and subtle: 1/8-ounce jigging raps, slender spoons, and flutter-style spoons tipped with a minnow head, worked just off bottom with long pauses. Deadsticks are doing damage too—small shiner or fathead on a plain hook or light glow jig, 6–12 inches off bottom, especially during low-light windows. Perch anglers are doing best with tungsten jigs tipped with spikes, waxies, or a single red euro, downsized to coax finicky biters, with occasional bigger fish coming on small spoons when they slide through in schools.
## Hot spots to try
Two areas worth a look if ice allows:
- Off the east shore near Stockbridge in 8–13 feet, targeting the first break and nearby mud for mixed walleye and perch.
- The Oshkosh side, working out from Miller’s Bay and along the shallow breaks north toward the mouth of the Fox, staying in that 6–10 foot range for evening walleye and random white bass.
That’s the scoop from Artificial Lure—thanks for tuning in, and 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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