Lake Butte des Morts fishing: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Walleye

Target species: Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Walleye, Yellow Perch
Boat: 5 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Butte Des Morts Village Access.

The lake

Lake Butte des Morts covers 9,368 acres in Wisconsin, across Winnebago County. It is a lake: 96.6% of it is 7 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 15 feet (4.6 m). Our records hold 6 species for this water.

Stocking: 4,382,780 fish, 1972–2024

Wisconsin DNR records list 4,382,780 fish released into this water from 1972 to 2024.

LakeButteDesMortsWisconsin.jpg
self · CC BY-SA 2.5
  • Northern Pike: 3,738,615 in 1972–2000
  • Muskellunge: 607,708 in 1973–2024
  • Yellow Perch: 24,620 in 1980–1981
  • Walleye: 1,200 in 1972

2 more species on the stocking list.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 15 ft (4.6 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 96.6% of the water is 7 feet or shallower. We hold 84 depth contours for this water, drawn from 188 soundings.

Terrell's Island Breakwall.jpg
popo.uw23 · Public domain
  • 0–1 ft: 42.1% of the water
  • 1–2 ft: 5.5% of the water
  • 2–3 ft: 5.2% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 8.3% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 8.7% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 20.2% of the water
  • 7–9 ft: 3.2% of the water
  • 9–11 ft: 0.1% of the water

4 target fish, led by Muskellunge

  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.

Also recorded here: Flathead Catfish, Common Carp.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 68°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 44°F and the warmest is 80°F; the warmest monthly average is 76°F. pH averages 8.5. These readings span 2018–2026.

Lake Butte des Morts from I41.jpg
Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0

5 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 5 boat ramps.

  • Butte Des Morts Village Access — Town Of Winneconne, Town of Winneconne. phone 920-582-3260
  • Lake Butte des Morts Boat Landing — Town Of Omro, Parks Department. phone (920) 232-1960
  • North First Street Boat Ramp — on Wolf River, Village Of Winneconne, Parks Department. phone (920) 582-4381
  • Rivermoor Road Access — Town Of Winneconne, Town of Winneconne. phone 920-582-3260
  • SkipperBud's Boating Supercenter — Oshkosh. 1351 Egg Harbor Lane, Oshkosh 54904

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 5 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 9,368 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. With 96.6% of the water 7 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards.

Where this data comes from

  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Wisconsin DNR — Wisconsin DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.