Winter Goby Watch During Battle on Bago, Sturgeon Spearing

Battle on Bago, Sturgeon Spearing Time on Winnebago Perfect Time to Check That Catch

Thousands of folks are arriving on Lake Winnebago this week with big dreams. People are dreaming of spearing a mammoth sturgeon or maybe catching that perfect fish for Battle on Bago resulting in a new truck. Dreaming of creating those family memories that become the lore of family history. Maybe people are just dreaming of not having their truck go through the ice! But no matter the dream, everyone is hoping for the same thing; a memorable moment.

While you search for your fish and your memorable moment, we need your help as the 2026 ice fishing season on Winnebago looks a little differently this year. Back in June 2025, a new invasive species was found in Lake Winnebago; round goby. Since October, there haven’t been any additional round goby found or reported from the Winnebago system. To help determine the extent of goby movement throughout the lake, we’re hoping ice anglers and sturgeon spearers will be on the lookout for these invasive fish. With the original round goby report coming from the Bowen Street Fishing Pier in Oshkosh, there might be a higher likelihood of goby being caught in that area.

The invasive round goby is about 3 to 6 inches long with bulging frog-like eyes and a fused fin on their bottom side that looks like a suction cup. Round gobies are native to the Black and Caspian Seas between Europe and Asia, and it’s believed they were first introduced to the United States through the ballast water of oceangoing ships in 1990. They have since spread to the Great Lakes and connecting waterways like the lower Fox River. There are a few native fish that look similar including the mottled sculpin and slimy sculpin.

If you’re fishing this winter and catch what you suspect is a round goby, kill it and take it to a DNR service center. Can’t take the fish to the service center right away?  Report any round goby you find using the agency’s online reporting tool.

Beyond the goby, don’t forget to take care of your lakes while out on the ice.

• Pack out your trash – no one likes to see trash on the ice or put into the lake
• Be ice safe -no ice is 100% safe but changing conditions can quickly alter the ice.
• Know the weather conditions.
• Be aware of aquatic invasive species and prevent their spread
  • Inspect your equipment, drain any water, don’t dump unused bait into the lake
  • Learn more from our Ice Fishing and Invasive Species article from December