Listen "Winnebago's Early October Bite Heats Up with Walleye, Perch & More"
Episode Synopsis
This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Winnebago fishing report for Sunday, October 5, 2025. Weather’s starting off cool and calm around the lake this morning—mid-40s at dawn but warming up into the lower 70s by afternoon. Winds are pitching out of the southwest at 5 to 10 mph. It’s mostly sunny, and conditions look real good for a day on the water. Sunrise came at 6:56 AM this morning and we expect sunset at about 6:29 PM tonight, giving you a solid chunk of daylight for fall fishing. No tidal swings here, but keep an eye on those weather shifts rolling in tomorrow for any late-day tails.Water temps in Winnebago are holding steady in the upper 60s to low 70s, perfect for triggering that classic early October bite. Clarity has picked up thanks to light winds this week. With these conditions, the action’s been above average and anglers coming in to local bait shops are talking up some good numbers.Best bites lately:- **Walleye**: Activity has picked up since the weekend. Folks are trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses along the west shore reefs and mudflats, working 8–14 feet. Early mornings and just before dusk, jigging with bright chartreuse or firetiger patterns has put three- to five-pounders in the box.- **Yellow Perch**: The perch bite is shaping up nicely for fall. Drifting minnows or small worms just off the bottom by weed edges—especially southeast from Fisherman’s Road Landing—has put keepers over 10 inches on stringers.- **White Bass**: They’re schooling up on shad schools, especially around current breaks. Inline spinners or small blade baits have been top producers, with plenty of doubles and even a few jumbos reported in the 15-inch range.- **Bluegill**: Still hitting in the channels and harbors, especially right against wood or emergent vegetation. Small jigs or a piece of crawler under a slip bobber is the trick.- **Channel Catfish**: Cat action is solid by the river mouths and near stumps on cut bait or stinkbait after sundown.Recently, local anglers reported catching decent bags—ten to fifteen nice perch per outing, plus mixed bags of white bass and a couple bonus walleyes for the grill. Kids are still scoring panfish from docks with waxworms, too.Top baits and lures:- Crankbaits like Flicker Shads, Salmo Hornets, and shad raps in perch or firetiger patterns for walleye.- 1/16–1/8 ounce jigs with chartreuse twister tails for perch and white bass.- Live minnows and slip-bobber rigs near structure.- Nightcrawlers or cut shad for cats, especially in the evening.Hot spots right now:- **Wendt’s Point**: That rocky reef and surrounding mud lines are full of walleye and perch this week.- **The mouth of the Fond du Lac River**: It’s producing multi-species bags right at sunrise, especially for those casting spinners and jigging live bait.Boaters should be mindful—weed mats and a little floating debris have piled up along the west shore, so keep an eye on your prop and avoid running at speed too close to shore.With lake conditions stable and the cool front rolling in later this week, the activity window should remain prime. The key is moving until you find active fish and switching between natural and bright patterns as sunlight shifts.That’s the report for today. Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe for more Winnebago and regional fishing updates straight from Artificial Lure. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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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