OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The calendar may indicate late December, but when it comes to fishing a stretch of relatively mild weather is keeping some anglers off the ice.
That includes Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh.
With a chisel to check ice thickness in one hand, and in the other, a sled filled with gear, a fisherman cautiously makes his way onto Asylum Bay in Oshkosh. The shallow inlet is typically one of the first places on Lake Winnebago to freeze, and anglers are there to catch perch.
“Just like to get out, and it’s fun catching fish through the ice. Something to do. We’re avid open water fishermen, so we’re kind of limited on what we can do, so we ice fish,” said Kurt Brandon, Milwaukee.
On Monday morning anglers reported ice thickness on part of Asylum Bay was about four inches, but going onto the big part of Lake Winnebago was not recommended.
“I wouldn’t. I don’t think anybody’s even walking out there yet. I mean, there’s some open spots. That will take a while. It needs to get a little colder for the big lake,” said Cory Van Vonderen, Fish Tales Bait, Tackle & Coffee Owner.
Van Vonderen says recent warm windy weather melted a lot of snow off the lake’s surface,
“As long as it gets cold again, that little bit of rain on top just adds the extra quarter to a half inch. It really hasn’t affected us. We’ve just been lucky this year with the way the wind’s been blowing,” he said.
Van Vonderen says consistent cold would improve ice conditions in the area.
“I don’t think we’ll have any problem with the current ice. We have a very good base, but we definitely need some really cold weather to lock things up, so it stops moving around,” he said.
In the meantime, fishermen say they’ll keep one eye on the ice, and the other on the perch.
“A lot of little ones. But you put some time in, and you’ll end up going home with a meal or two,” said Brandon.
Experts warn people ice is never considered to be 100 percent safe, and they say it’s a good idea to check area bait shops for conditions before heading out.
