LAKE WINNEBAGO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Calm, clear conditions covered the suface of the west shore of Lake Winnebago Monday, but the area between Oshkosh and Fond du Lac is being tested for ice thickness, and water clarity below.
Members of the West Shore Fishing Club took to the ice near the landing at Wendt’s on the Lake. About three-tenths of a mile from shore Scott Klein uses a battery powered auger to carve through the frozen surface.
“Ice is varied. Where we are right now, we got 11 inches. There’s 11 here, but you go out a little farther, it will be four inches, or it could be eight inches.”
Club members say they checked about a dozen spots on Monday, with the ice thickness ranging from six to eleven inches. And with the sturgeon spearing season opening this Saturday, water clarity is another concern.
Experts say spearers need at least 12 feet of clear water to be successful. The water in the bay near Wendt’s is only six and a half feet deep. A quick test indicates the white disc is visible all the way to the bottom.
Shawn Wendt, owner of Wendt’s on the Lake, tells FOX 11…
“Just people that have been talking to us, it seems like it was a little better clarity than it was last year starting out. So, we’ll go from there, and we’ll check some more ice and check some more water clarity today.”
Club members say water clarity in the area ranged from 8-12 feet.
“The water’s fairly clear, that’s for sure, but it’s a matter of getting out to spear them,” said Klein.
Wendt says people should leave their pickup trucks at the landing, and for now, travel on the ice with ATVs, and snowmobiles.
“There has been years where the ice has improved as the season goes along, and then we could be driving by the end of the season. You just got to take it day-by-day and see what the weather brings us.”
Experts remind everyone, the ice is never considered to be 100 percent safe.
People should contact area bait shops for conditions before venturing onto the frozen surface.
