Lake Winnebago
Lake Winnebago is the nation’s second largest inland freshwater lake. It is 28 miles long, 11 miles wide and covers 137,700 acres. It is so big that it takes up space in 3 different counties including Winnebago, Fond du Lac and Calumet. The lake covers 85 miles of shoreline and you can find plenty of lighthouses, launch ramps, harbors, parks and restaurants around the water. The lake is very popular for a variety of outdoor activities. There is plenty of room on the lake for everyone.
Popular Towns of Lake Winnebago
Appleton, WI | Fond du Lac, WI | Oshkosh, WI
The fishing on Lake Winnebago is excellent. It is a large lake, but it is not as overwhelming as some would think. It is known as a great numbers lake for walleye and there are many other species of fish that you can catch here too. Because the lake is so large, we decided to break it into smaller parts to help anglers learn the lake better.
Learn more about the fishing on Lake Winnebago
Lake Michigan
The ports along Lake Michigan are very popular for anglers looking to take their big boats out or for those looking to hop on a fishing charter to fish for salmon and trout. During the spring and fall, anglers also catch a lot of salmon and trout from shore during the spawning runs. There are plenty of rivers that feed Lake Michigan and they receive spawning fish every spring and fall. Take a look at the ports along Lake Michigan in Central Wisconsin.
Algoma
The Algoma port is known for its excellent fishing for salmon and trout. This port isn’t as popular as some of the other destinations in Wisconsin, but there are several fishing charters available and the fishing is very good here.
Kewaunee
The Kewaunee area isn’t as popular of a port as some of the other destinations in Wisconsin, but for the people that live up in this area, they get to enjoy a beautiful part of Lake Michigan.
In this area, there are several fishing charters here and the fishing is good for salmon and trout from spring through fall. The Kewaunee River also offers some good fishing during the annual spawning runs. Come here with your own boat or use a charter. Either way, there is some very good fishing out of Kewaunee.
Sheboygan
Sheboygan is a decent-sized city located on the shores of Lake Michigan. This isn’t really a popular vacation destination, but it is a popular day trip for anglers looking to get into some good fishing.
Salmon & trout fishing is very good here from spring through fall and there are many fishing charters that can help put you on some fish. The Sheboygan River gets a good run of fish in the spring and the fall, so shore anglers can experience some good fishing in the river.
Two Rivers / Manitowoc
Manitowoc & Two Rivers are 2 small towns located on the shores of Lake Michigan. These port towns aren’t very popular fishing vacation destinations, but they are good destinations for a day trip. Most people that come here to fish for the day will be from Wisconsin.
Salmon & Trout
The Manitowoc & Two Rivers area is home to several fishing charters and some very good fishing for salmon and trout on Lake Michigan. The area rivers will also hold fish in the spring and fall as they migrate up the rivers. The fall run will be bigger as many species of salmon and trout will move up the rivers to spawn.
Other Featured Areas
Green Bay, WI
Green Bay is home to a world class fishery. The southern part of the bay is known for its amazing walleye fishery while the central and northern part is home to very good walleye fishing as well to go along with a world class smallmouth bass fishery.
Learn more about the fishing out of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
LaCrosse, WI
La Crosse, WI is home to some incredible fishing. If you like to fish river systems with lots of backwaters, this is the place for you. It is one of the best small boat fishing destinations in the state of Wisconsin for largemouth bass. Anglers come here from all over the midwest to experience the summer topwater fishing for largemouth bass. The largemouth bass, northern pike and panfish fisheries are outstanding in this area depending on where you are fishing. Anglers also catch smallmouth bass, walleye and other fish in the area waters. This area is also home to Lake Onalaska, which is one of the best bluegill fisheries in the state of Wisconsin.
Learn more about the waters to fish in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Beaver Dam Lake
Beaver Dam Lake is a 6,718 acre lake located in Dodge County. It has a maximum depth of 7 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from many public boat landings. Fish include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye and panfish. According to the DNR, largemouth bass, northern pike and walleye are abundant in the lake while panfish are listed as common.
Castle Rock Lake
Castle Rock Lake is only about 30 minutes from the Wisconsin Dells. It is a huge lake covering 13,955 acres. The lake is located in Adams, Juneau Counties. It has a maximum depth of 35 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from a bunch of public boat landings. There are 3 public beaches as well. Fish include walleye, northern pike, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskie, sturgeon, catfish and a variety of panfish. According to the DNR, walleye and panfish are common in the lake while the other species listed are considered present.
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, Wisconsin is a popular town about an hour and a half drive from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The town is a decent-sized town just off the major highway, so lots of people drive through this town. Some people visit this area to do some fishing. With all the water from the river systems here, anglers have a lot of options to fish for a variety of fish. Anglers usually target these waters for smallmouth bass and muskie, but you can also catch largemouth bass, northern pike, muskie and a variety of panfish.
Green Lake, WI
Green Lake is a nice lake town with a beautiful lake and plenty of area businesses that help make this area an awesome weekend getaway destination. The town is called Green Lake, but the main lake in town is also called Green Lake. The lake is what draws most people to this area, however, there are some other lakes worth fishing within a half hour from the town of Green Lake.
Learn more about the area waters around Green Lake, WI
Petenwell Lake
Petenwell Lake is a 23,173 acre lake located in Adams, Wood, Juneau Counties. It has a maximum depth of 44 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from many public boat landings. There is also a public beach on this lake. Fish include walleye, muskie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, sturgeon, catfish and panfish. According to the DNR, walleye and panfish are common in the lake while the other species of fish are listed as present.
Shawano Lake
Shawano Lake is a 6,215 acre lake located in Shawano County. It has a maximum depth of 39.5 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from many public boat landings. The lake also has a public beach. Fish include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, muskie, sturgeon and panfish. According to the DNR, northern pike are abundant in the lake while walleye, largemouth bass and panfish are considered common. Muskie and sturgeon are listed as present. The water is murky.
Wausau, WI
Centrally located near the junction of Hwy 51/39 and Hwy 29, Wausau is a town that many people drive through on their way up to fish northern Wisconsin. For some people, their drive ends here as they make their fishing memories on the area river systems. This is a pretty good-sized town, so you have plenty here as far as accommodations, restaurants and area businesses to make your trip a convenient one. You won’t find all the lakes that you would see just a couple more hours up north, but there is some pretty good fishing if you’re willing to take the time to learn the river systems here.