Bridge Dimensions:
*Travel/Cross Bridges at your own risk*
Remember to support your local fishing club so we can keep maintaining the roads and bridges!
March 6, 2023
The ice season on Lake Winnebago is coming to a close. Rain, warm temperatures and the sun getting higher in the sky daily has taken its toll on the lake ice. The ice on the lake is becoming really water logged and soft.
As far as I know, almost all of the fishing clubs on the lake have removed their atv bridges. Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club removed their atv bridge on 3-5-2023. The Landing at the clubhouse is in real rough shape. I would suggest on walking out. Where the water is shallow the lake bottom has been warming up with the sun so high in the sky and it is melting the ice from the bottom up as well as the top down making these areas unsafe.
I was on the east shore of the lake this past weekend and the ice is holding up a touch better than it is on the west shore, but it is still not in real good condition.
The other thing I noticed this year is that with the lake water levels so low, is a lot of people have had substantial damage to their shoreline. If you stop at the clubhouse and look at our rental property to the south you will see a prime example of what super low water levels along with requiring large temperature changes can make the ice do. Hopefully next year the water levels will be higher and closer to the level most residents remember on the lake. The low water level also plays a part in how much ice we make by shore and can make the landings not as safe or inaccessible.
Please remember to support your local fishing clubs and that the ice is never 100% safe.
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
February 19, 2023
As of today I am seeing 12 to 14 inches of ice on the northern half of the lake. The ice is getting really beat up from the sun so high in the sky and warm temperatures. The top few inches of ice is honey comb and not to be counted as ice in my eyes. So with that being said I truly see 9 to 11 inches of ice that I would use as a gauge for what it handle on a sense. The ice is frozen tight in the mornings and soft in the afternoon. I strongly recommend traveling with snowmobiles, atvs, and 2 person utvs. They are forecasting snow mid week which will keep the sun off the ice and will help maintain the less than mediocre conditions we are seeing.
As of today, Paynes Point Hook and Spear Club has an atv bridge on the main working crack 2 miles out from the clubhouse landing. We also have an atv bridge in cowling bay on the same working crack. These bridges are marked with an orange construction barrel. I will do my best to keep the bridge in cowling bay out till the end of sturgeon spearing, but if we end up getting 8 plus inches of snow on Wednesday and Thursday, I may have to remove it sooner. Remember to support your local fishing clubs and that the ice is never 100% safe.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
February 6, 2023
At the time of writing this, I am seeing 12 inches to 15 inches of ice in the bay and 14 inches to 16 inches of ice on the main lake out from Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club. There is currently one major working crack that runs from Oshkosh to Garlic island, to Blackbird Island then from there cuts north- northeast towards High Cliff. We currently have an atv bridge on the crack. It is 1.9 miles east of our landing towards Faro Springs rd on the east shore.
At the time of this writing, we do not have a tree line out or any truck bridges. I suggest parking vehicles and trailers at least 200 yards off shore if you’re taking an atv or utv or snowmobile out. There is a fair possibility we will put our truck bridges and tree line out this week. If that happens, the key to us keeping our truck bridges out will be slow speeds approaching shore and the bridges, one at a time on the bridges and stay back a 100 feet from bridges while waiting to cross. I will also say that with continuously changing weather conditions the club may have to remove the bridges with very short notice this year if we put them out. The clubhouse will be the best place to stay up to date.
Lake park sportsmen’s club has a tree line out 4 miles off fire lane 8 , Lower Cliff fishing club has a tree line out 1.4 miles, Brickyard fishing Club has a tree line out 4 miles off of Calumet County Park on the east shore, along with most of the other clubs south of there on the east shore. Currently no club on the west shore has a tree line out. Remember the ice is never 100% safe.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
January 29, 2023
As of today I am finding 9 to 12 inches of ice in the bays, and 10 to 14 inches on the main Lake body in the areas out from Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club. Yesterday we put one of our atv/ utv/ snowmobile bridges on the main working crack. The bridge is located 1.9 miles east of our clubhouse towards Faro Springs Road on the east shore. It is just south of Stevens Reef and is marked with a Christmas tree standing next to it. We followed the crack yesterday to the north for a couple miles and determined that it must run into shore east of fire lane 8 and in the area of high cliff. To the south it hits blackbird island then runs south to garlic island, then toward Oshkosh. Travel on the lake is still pretty easy, there is a few inches of snow on the ice with drifts up to a foot tall in places. With the cold weather we have coming this week, it will really help us make some ice by the shore lines where we are seeing the least amount of ice currently. From what I have heard, water clarity is pretty good as of right now. Hopefully that stays true as runoff continues to work through the lake from the recent rain we received. I will do my best to keep updates to changing conditions Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club’s website and facebook page. Remember the ice is never 100% safe
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
January 16, 2023
As of today I’m am finding an average of 9 to 12 inches of ice on the lake in the areas out from Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club. I found that there is a working crack that runs north- northeast from blackbird island. It crosses where the clubs tree line would be at 1.9 miles out from the clubhouse. I was out just under 5 miles from the clubhouse traveled north about a mile from where the tree line would be, I found more old shove ice to the north. Most of it was melted down pre good making travel easy. I traveled south almost to south asylum bay out in the middle of the lake, travel was easy. No major shove ice or cracks. I suggest atv, utv, or snowmobile travel at this time. I will do my best to keep updates posted as conditions change. Remember the ice is never 100 % safe.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
January 9, 2023
As of today I am seeing an average of 8 to 10 inches of ice in the majority of the area out from the clubhouse. I have been out 4 miles, overall the lake is pretty smooth, although I did see some areas of shove ice to the north, I’d say due east of the fresh air camp. I will note that I did see a couple spots with only 6 to 7 inches of ice which was right next to shore in the shallower areas where it is 3 feet deep or less within 100 to 200 feet off shore. It didn’t surprise me to see that, with the warm weather and rain we recently had. If you are going to go out from the clubhouse please park on the point or somewhere out of the way. I suggest walking, atv, snowmobile or SMALL UTV at this time on the ice. Watch the areas around the islands and reefs also I’m sure they are really thin if not open water in some spots. I will do my best to keep everyone updated with changing conditions. Remember the only safe ice is still in the freezer waiting for my big buck cup.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
Remember to support your local fishing club so we can keep maintaining the roads and bridges!
March 6, 2023
The ice season on Lake Winnebago is coming to a close. Rain, warm temperatures and the sun getting higher in the sky daily has taken its toll on the lake ice. The ice on the lake is becoming really water logged and soft.
As far as I know, almost all of the fishing clubs on the lake have removed their atv bridges. Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club removed their atv bridge on 3-5-2023. The Landing at the clubhouse is in real rough shape. I would suggest on walking out. Where the water is shallow the lake bottom has been warming up with the sun so high in the sky and it is melting the ice from the bottom up as well as the top down making these areas unsafe.
I was on the east shore of the lake this past weekend and the ice is holding up a touch better than it is on the west shore, but it is still not in real good condition.
The other thing I noticed this year is that with the lake water levels so low, is a lot of people have had substantial damage to their shoreline. If you stop at the clubhouse and look at our rental property to the south you will see a prime example of what super low water levels along with requiring large temperature changes can make the ice do. Hopefully next year the water levels will be higher and closer to the level most residents remember on the lake. The low water level also plays a part in how much ice we make by shore and can make the landings not as safe or inaccessible.
Please remember to support your local fishing clubs and that the ice is never 100% safe.
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
February 19, 2023
As of today I am seeing 12 to 14 inches of ice on the northern half of the lake. The ice is getting really beat up from the sun so high in the sky and warm temperatures. The top few inches of ice is honey comb and not to be counted as ice in my eyes. So with that being said I truly see 9 to 11 inches of ice that I would use as a gauge for what it handle on a sense. The ice is frozen tight in the mornings and soft in the afternoon. I strongly recommend traveling with snowmobiles, atvs, and 2 person utvs. They are forecasting snow mid week which will keep the sun off the ice and will help maintain the less than mediocre conditions we are seeing.
As of today, Paynes Point Hook and Spear Club has an atv bridge on the main working crack 2 miles out from the clubhouse landing. We also have an atv bridge in cowling bay on the same working crack. These bridges are marked with an orange construction barrel. I will do my best to keep the bridge in cowling bay out till the end of sturgeon spearing, but if we end up getting 8 plus inches of snow on Wednesday and Thursday, I may have to remove it sooner. Remember to support your local fishing clubs and that the ice is never 100% safe.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
February 6, 2023
At the time of writing this, I am seeing 12 inches to 15 inches of ice in the bay and 14 inches to 16 inches of ice on the main lake out from Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club. There is currently one major working crack that runs from Oshkosh to Garlic island, to Blackbird Island then from there cuts north- northeast towards High Cliff. We currently have an atv bridge on the crack. It is 1.9 miles east of our landing towards Faro Springs rd on the east shore.
At the time of this writing, we do not have a tree line out or any truck bridges. I suggest parking vehicles and trailers at least 200 yards off shore if you’re taking an atv or utv or snowmobile out. There is a fair possibility we will put our truck bridges and tree line out this week. If that happens, the key to us keeping our truck bridges out will be slow speeds approaching shore and the bridges, one at a time on the bridges and stay back a 100 feet from bridges while waiting to cross. I will also say that with continuously changing weather conditions the club may have to remove the bridges with very short notice this year if we put them out. The clubhouse will be the best place to stay up to date.
Lake park sportsmen’s club has a tree line out 4 miles off fire lane 8 , Lower Cliff fishing club has a tree line out 1.4 miles, Brickyard fishing Club has a tree line out 4 miles off of Calumet County Park on the east shore, along with most of the other clubs south of there on the east shore. Currently no club on the west shore has a tree line out. Remember the ice is never 100% safe.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
January 29, 2023
As of today I am finding 9 to 12 inches of ice in the bays, and 10 to 14 inches on the main Lake body in the areas out from Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club. Yesterday we put one of our atv/ utv/ snowmobile bridges on the main working crack. The bridge is located 1.9 miles east of our clubhouse towards Faro Springs Road on the east shore. It is just south of Stevens Reef and is marked with a Christmas tree standing next to it. We followed the crack yesterday to the north for a couple miles and determined that it must run into shore east of fire lane 8 and in the area of high cliff. To the south it hits blackbird island then runs south to garlic island, then toward Oshkosh. Travel on the lake is still pretty easy, there is a few inches of snow on the ice with drifts up to a foot tall in places. With the cold weather we have coming this week, it will really help us make some ice by the shore lines where we are seeing the least amount of ice currently. From what I have heard, water clarity is pretty good as of right now. Hopefully that stays true as runoff continues to work through the lake from the recent rain we received. I will do my best to keep updates to changing conditions Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club’s website and facebook page. Remember the ice is never 100% safe
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
January 16, 2023
As of today I’m am finding an average of 9 to 12 inches of ice on the lake in the areas out from Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club. I found that there is a working crack that runs north- northeast from blackbird island. It crosses where the clubs tree line would be at 1.9 miles out from the clubhouse. I was out just under 5 miles from the clubhouse traveled north about a mile from where the tree line would be, I found more old shove ice to the north. Most of it was melted down pre good making travel easy. I traveled south almost to south asylum bay out in the middle of the lake, travel was easy. No major shove ice or cracks. I suggest atv, utv, or snowmobile travel at this time. I will do my best to keep updates posted as conditions change. Remember the ice is never 100 % safe.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman
January 9, 2023
As of today I am seeing an average of 8 to 10 inches of ice in the majority of the area out from the clubhouse. I have been out 4 miles, overall the lake is pretty smooth, although I did see some areas of shove ice to the north, I’d say due east of the fresh air camp. I will note that I did see a couple spots with only 6 to 7 inches of ice which was right next to shore in the shallower areas where it is 3 feet deep or less within 100 to 200 feet off shore. It didn’t surprise me to see that, with the warm weather and rain we recently had. If you are going to go out from the clubhouse please park on the point or somewhere out of the way. I suggest walking, atv, snowmobile or SMALL UTV at this time on the ice. Watch the areas around the islands and reefs also I’m sure they are really thin if not open water in some spots. I will do my best to keep everyone updated with changing conditions. Remember the only safe ice is still in the freezer waiting for my big buck cup.
Thank you
Jim Nobbe
PPHSFC Plow and Bridge Committee Chairman