WiskyDan
Jetboaters Captain
- Messages
- 1,009
- Reaction score
- 1,729
- Points
- 207
- Location
- Jackson, WI
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2018
- Boat Model
- 242 Limited S E-Series
- Boat Length
- 24
The summer of 2020 was my first season as a boat owner and I decided to dry stack my boat on the Lake Winnebago chain and was very happy with that decision. The connected chain of lakes/rivers (Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Winnecone, Lake Poygan, Lake Partridge, Wolf River, Fox River) is so large that I'm pretty sure it's going to take us several seasons to hit all of the good spots. Since I was new to boating, and not from the area, it took us some time to get the lay of the land so I thought that starting a thread that would do a couple of things:
If I screw up any of the following locations, or descriptions, please correct me.
1- Sandbars/Coves that I've been to:
What: Streich's Cove
Where: Lake Winnebago (southwest shore)
Link: Log into Facebook
This is a pretty popular spot as it's close to many of the marinas and boat ramps that are situated in Oshkosh, Fon du Lac and the Fox River. I was told that this is where all of the drunkards gather on the weekends and there was quite a bit of partying going on the 4-5 times that we anchored. Didn't see anyone doing stupid things but definitely seemed like a more adult oriented crowd. To get there follow the west shore of Winnebago south as you exit the Fox River which you can see at the top of the map. On most weekends all you have to do is follow the steady stream of boats heading that way.
What: Velvet Beach
Where: Lake Winnebago (southeast shore)
Link: Calumet Harbor Marina - Lake Winnebago, WI AND Columbia Park | Fond du Lac County
The beach area is just north of the entrance to Calumet Harbor which is down the road from the town of Pipe. The sand is nice (it is called "Velvet Beach" after all) and there is a marina, park, and lighthouse as well. Jim and Linda's Supper Club is adjacent to the park and is supposed to have good food but we haven't visited it yet. We anchored here three times and it's much more laid back - maybe 15 boats at the most. A good place to float if you just want to relax.
What: Weed Beds
Where: Lake Winneconne / Lake Poygan
Link: N/A
Don't let the name fool you, the sand here is really nice and the water is fairly clear - this is our favorite place to float around. Lake Winneconne and Lake Poygan are basically two sides of the same body of water and the Weed Beds are right on the border of the two lakes towards the southern shore. There was a fairly even mix of adults and kids the two times we anchored here.
2- Sandbars/Coves that I haven't been to but have heard of:
What: Terrell Island and the Sand Pit
Where: Lake Butte des Morts (southwest shore)
Link: Sand Bar Bash LLC
There are two spots on the map - Terrell Island (where the Sand Bar Bash is every year) at the top and the Sand Pit At the bottom. We drove by the Sand Bar Bash last summer early in the morning as boats were starting to raft up but we decided to bail. We couldn't stay all day and trying to get out of a raft line early is frowned upon from what I understand. The Sand Pit sounds nice and we will definitely hit that this season. To get to this area you hug the south shore of Lake Butte des Morts as you come under the I41 bridge - you can't miss Terrell Island as it juts out. The Sand Bar Bash takes place by a tiny little island (if you can even call it that) just off the shore of Terrell Island so that's a good landmark.
What: High Cliff State Park Beach and Waverly Beach
Where: Lake Winnebago (north shore)
Link: About Us AND High Cliff Wisconsin State Park System | Wisconsin DNR
There are two spots on the map - Waverly Beach to the left and High Cliff State Park to the right. High Cliff State Park has a beach area that I've heard people anchor at but the one time we were in the area it was late in the season and too cold. There is also a harbor with a snack shop and gas available. The Waverly Beach Bar and Grille is located at Waverly Beach and it appears that they have a tiki bar. A couple of photos in the Gallery from the Bar and Grille website show boats tied up just off shore. On days where wind is coming out of the north this area would be as calm as you're gonna get on Winnebago.
I'd love to hear about any other sandbars/coves that I'm missing - I'm sure there are a bunch.
- Provide a resource for those that are new to the chain and/or just visiting.
- Have some of the locals chime in on the places they really like (@drewkaree) and maybe offer up some hidden gems.
Log into Facebook
Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
www.facebook.com
If I screw up any of the following locations, or descriptions, please correct me.
1- Sandbars/Coves that I've been to:
What: Streich's Cove
Where: Lake Winnebago (southwest shore)
Link: Log into Facebook
This is a pretty popular spot as it's close to many of the marinas and boat ramps that are situated in Oshkosh, Fon du Lac and the Fox River. I was told that this is where all of the drunkards gather on the weekends and there was quite a bit of partying going on the 4-5 times that we anchored. Didn't see anyone doing stupid things but definitely seemed like a more adult oriented crowd. To get there follow the west shore of Winnebago south as you exit the Fox River which you can see at the top of the map. On most weekends all you have to do is follow the steady stream of boats heading that way.
What: Velvet Beach
Where: Lake Winnebago (southeast shore)
Link: Calumet Harbor Marina - Lake Winnebago, WI AND Columbia Park | Fond du Lac County
The beach area is just north of the entrance to Calumet Harbor which is down the road from the town of Pipe. The sand is nice (it is called "Velvet Beach" after all) and there is a marina, park, and lighthouse as well. Jim and Linda's Supper Club is adjacent to the park and is supposed to have good food but we haven't visited it yet. We anchored here three times and it's much more laid back - maybe 15 boats at the most. A good place to float if you just want to relax.
What: Weed Beds
Where: Lake Winneconne / Lake Poygan
Link: N/A
Don't let the name fool you, the sand here is really nice and the water is fairly clear - this is our favorite place to float around. Lake Winneconne and Lake Poygan are basically two sides of the same body of water and the Weed Beds are right on the border of the two lakes towards the southern shore. There was a fairly even mix of adults and kids the two times we anchored here.
2- Sandbars/Coves that I haven't been to but have heard of:
What: Terrell Island and the Sand Pit
Where: Lake Butte des Morts (southwest shore)
Link: Sand Bar Bash LLC
There are two spots on the map - Terrell Island (where the Sand Bar Bash is every year) at the top and the Sand Pit At the bottom. We drove by the Sand Bar Bash last summer early in the morning as boats were starting to raft up but we decided to bail. We couldn't stay all day and trying to get out of a raft line early is frowned upon from what I understand. The Sand Pit sounds nice and we will definitely hit that this season. To get to this area you hug the south shore of Lake Butte des Morts as you come under the I41 bridge - you can't miss Terrell Island as it juts out. The Sand Bar Bash takes place by a tiny little island (if you can even call it that) just off the shore of Terrell Island so that's a good landmark.
What: High Cliff State Park Beach and Waverly Beach
Where: Lake Winnebago (north shore)
Link: About Us AND High Cliff Wisconsin State Park System | Wisconsin DNR
There are two spots on the map - Waverly Beach to the left and High Cliff State Park to the right. High Cliff State Park has a beach area that I've heard people anchor at but the one time we were in the area it was late in the season and too cold. There is also a harbor with a snack shop and gas available. The Waverly Beach Bar and Grille is located at Waverly Beach and it appears that they have a tiki bar. A couple of photos in the Gallery from the Bar and Grille website show boats tied up just off shore. On days where wind is coming out of the north this area would be as calm as you're gonna get on Winnebago.
I'd love to hear about any other sandbars/coves that I'm missing - I'm sure there are a bunch.
Last edited: