Appleton is a pretty good-sized town on the upper portion of Lake Winnebago. You will find plenty of businesses up here as this is a fairly popular town as long as the walleye or perch are biting. This part of the lake is unique because the town is bigger, so there are more options for entertainment, eating out and other businesses too. Anglers fish the Fox River, Little Lake Butte Des Morts and of course, Lake Winnebago. There are some decent places to fish when the winds are too rough to get out on the big lake, however, most anglers that fish this part of the lake usually prefer to get out on Lake Winnebago. This part of the lake is very popular among the walleye and perch crowd. Anglers catch a little bit of everything up here. The spring and fall tend to congregate a lot of fish near the mouth of the river.
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.
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.
Little Lake Butte Des Morts
Little Lake Butte Des Morts is a 1,200 acre lake located in Winnebago County. It has a maximum depth of 18 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from multiple public boat landings. Fish include walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, sturgeon, catfish and panfish. According to the DNR, catfish, sturgeon and panfish are abundant in the lake while northern pike and walleye are considered common. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are listed as present.
Fox River – Appleton
The Fox River in Appleton provides anglers some good fishing, especially in the spring and fall months. Boats will fish the river, but there are some good shore spots too that plenty of local anglers put to use. You can find just about everything in this section of the Fox River, but most anglers will catch smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, catfish and panfish. There are other species that roam the river as well.