Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Winnebago fishing report for Friday, September 26, 2025. Early fall is in the air, and Winnebago’s vast waters are setting up for some classic autumn action with cooling temps and shifting wind patterns—just what the local fish love.Weatherwise, sunrise was at 6:47 AM with sunset coming at 6:49 PM—giving us almost equal day and night now. Air temps are stable: expect lows in the 40s and highs flirting with 70°F. Winds are out of the northeast today, 10 to 20 knots, making for a choppy ride with waves in the 1 to 3 foot range, maybe up to 4 later; bring good boat shoes and keep an eye on your drift pattern. Skies are mostly cloudy, but keep a light jacket handy since the east breeze will have some bite as the day rolls along, and a chance for a stray shower tonight according to the National Weather Service.There’s no true tide on Winnebago, but solunar activity is strong today. Early birds will want lines wet right around 6–7 AM, hitting another minor peak as dusk sets in; the big window today is midday, 12:43 to 2:43 PM. Expect the bite to pick up as the breeze stirs things up, so look for subtle windblown current edges along reefs and shore breaks.Fishing’s been on a slow but steady uptick as daylight shortens and water temps drop. Walleye are starting to move shallower, staging along gravel and rock reefs, and responding well to classic fall presentations. Reports from reliable locals say limits of eaters—those 14 to 17 inchers—came this week from boats vertical jigging with 1/4 to 3/8 oz jigs tipped with fathead minnows or leeches just off Garlic Island and east of the Oshkosh breakwall. Trollers are still scoring on the mud, using flicker shads in firetiger and purples—especially when making wide passes between Black Wolf and Fisherman’s Road. Shallow cranks and a little nightcrawler on a harness are bringing bonus white bass too.Perch are hitting hard in 8 to 12 feet on the west shore, especially south of N Fond du Lac, with best results on half-crawlers or small pieces of plastics on drop-shot rigs. A mixed bag of sheepshead, catfish, and even a few bonus young northerns have been showing up on cut bait fished near the mouths of the Fond du Lac and Fox rivers.Bass action is another highlight—pound for pound, smallies are starting to stack up on rocky points from Streich’s down to Pipe. Try Ned rigs in green pumpkin, or switch to a flashy swim jig if the winds lay down for a bit. Largemouth fans are still plucking good numbers in protected bays, especially near the weeds at Lakeside Park and Wind Point.This season, top lures are chartreuse jig heads with live bait, purple or perch-color crankbaits for trolling, and small plastics on a simple drop-shot for panfish. If the bite’s slow, don’t overlook a small blade bait or rattle bait hopped along the bottom, especially as the day warms.For hot spots, head to:- The reefs just south of Garlic Island: best for walleyes and white bass, especially midday when waves push shad onto the rocks.- Mud flats off Black Wolf and the mouth of the Fond du Lac River: great for perch and an occasional slab crappie, especially early and late.If boat traffic is tight, shore anglers should try Lakeside Park or the Millers Bay area with a slip bobber rig and half-crawler.Multiple festivals and local events this weekend so the landings may be busy—make time to stop by the downtown Fond du Lac farmer’s market for snacks and live music before or after your trip.That’s your snapshot for today on Lake Winnebago. Thanks for tuning in to the Artificial Lure report—don’t forget to subscribe for your daily dose of local angling intel. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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