Natural lake (Winnebago System)

Lake Poygan

Winnebago & Waushara Counties, Wisconsin

A shallow Winnebago System lake on the Wolf River, west of Lake Winnebago. It has abundant panfish, catfish and sturgeon, and walleye pass through on the spring run.

Air temp in Poy Sippi, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Lake Poygan (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area14,024 acres

Max depth11 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Panfish●●●●●

Abundant. White bass, perch and crappie.

Catfish●●●●○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and river mouths in the evening.

Walleye●●●○○

Common. The spring run to the Wolf River spawning marshes.

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Northern Pike●●●○○

Weed edges and bays. Spoons, spinnerbaits and tip-ups through the ice.

Lake Sturgeon●●●●○

Abundant. Hook-and-line harvest is closed.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Panfish
Catfish
Walleye
Largemouth Bass

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

1 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

6 public landings in totalPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all locationsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Walleye Only one may be a sauger or hybrid	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	3 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass	14 in	5 / day
Northern Pike Open May 2, 2026 to Mar 7, 2027	26 in	2 / day
Muskellunge May 2 to Dec 31, 2026; open water only	50 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish (channel) Open all year; 24 if flathead included	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish (flathead) May 2 to Sept 30, 2026; fish 36-42 in may not be kept	30 in	1 / day
Trout See specific trout regulations	Varies	Varies

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Wisconsin DNR ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Fish Tales12 mi
4050 County Rd A, Oshkosh(920) 385-1154 Directions ↗
Scheels15.5 mi
4301 W Wisconsin Ave, Appleton(920) 830-2977 Directions ↗
Critter's Wolf River SportsNearby
700 W Main St, Winneconne(920) 582-0471 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Lake Poygan ↗

Local tips

It's very shallow (11 ft max). Waves get choppy fast in wind.
Spring white bass and walleye runs head up the Wolf River.
The same Winnebago System rules apply as on Lake Winnebago.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Lake Poygan.

Loading reports...

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.