For fish or fowl, the Fond du Lac area is the place to get your game on. We recommend checking in at the Days Inn or Super 8, where there is room to park a boat if you have one, but you may want to call ahead to make sure there's space available.
With 88 miles of shoreline and 137,000 acres of lake, there are plenty of fishing opportunities on Lake Winnebago. That's a lot of surface area, so if you need a little insight or supplies, head on over to the River Haus for bait, tackle and advice.
During the summer months, fishermen enjoy grabbing their morning energy at Bagelmeister before launching at Lakeside Park. Winnebago is one of the top fisheries in the state, and one of the top walleye lakes in the U.S. Cast a line and bring up not only walleye but anything from yellow perch, large and smallmouth bass, northern pike, musky, catfish, crappie and bluegill, to name a few. And if you don't have a boat, don't worry, plenty can be caught from the shore.
Winter's freeze does little to deter fishing around here. Pull on a few layers, fill the thermos with coffee at Solid Grounds Coffee Shop, grab your tip-up and head out. You won't be alone. It's not unusual to see up to 10,000 cars out on the lake when it's cold enough. If you are coming in February, you can take part in - or at least be a witness to - the ancient art of Sturgeon spearing. The Fond du Lac area is one of only two places in the U.S. where you can do this, but you have to plan ahead and purchase a special fishing license from the WDNR. The Lake Winnebago system harbors about 40,000 of these giants, which can reach lengths up to seven feet long and weigh more than 200 pounds.
Regardless of the time of year, Wendt's on the Lake is a great place to refuel and enjoy their famous perch dinner, which the restaurant has served for over 50 years.
If you like to hunt in the fall, start your day with a visit to Schreiner's Restaurant for a home-style breakfast that will keep you warm and content in the duck blind. Need a few supplies? Take aim at Dutch's Trading Post, which has been outfitting area hunters for over 50 years and get ready for the hunt:
Hunters and fishermen, alike, will want to make the last stop of the day at
Salty's Seafood & Spirits, where everyone likes to share a story of the one that got away over a great seafood meal. So, C'mon in, we promise a vacation experience worth mounting on the wall.
