Lake Winnebago (winna-BAY-GO) is a large freshwater lake in eastern Wisconsin. It is the third largest natural freshwater lake completely within a U.S. state -- behind Lake Okeechobee, FL, and Red Lake, MN, respectively --it's about 30 by 10 miles, and has a surface area of 137,708 acres. With 88 miles of shoreline. Lake Winnebago is the largest lake completely within Wisconsin. It has an average depth of 15.5 feet and a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake is characterized by many shallow reefs along the west shore, and a drop-off type shoreline on the east. There are several islands along the west shore.

Lake Winnebago is part of a larger system of lakes in Wisconsin known as the Winnebago Pool. The Winnebago System is comprised of lakes Winnebago, Butte des Morts, Winneconne, Lake Poygan and the Fox and Wolf Rivers. Along with the Upper lakes of Butte des Morts, Winneconne, Poygan, the Wolf River and the upper and lower Fox River it is a popular pleasure boating area.

There is a system of seventeen locks that connect Lake Winnebago to Lake Michigan. This lock system is located along the lower Fox River and starts at the North West corner of Lake Winnebago in the city of Menasha and ends at the mouth of the bay of Green Bay. One of the locks, the Rapid Croche Lock, is permanently sealed as a barrier to prevent the movement of sea lamprey upstream, and only three of the remaining locks are operational.

Lake Winnebago has two primary tributaries, the Wolf River and the Fox River. The lake is drained by the Fox River which flows north towards the Bay of Green Bay. Cities on its shores include Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Neenah and Menasha. Cities that draw their drinking water directly from Lake Winnebago include Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Appleton. It is one of the more heavily fished lakes in the state. Many fisherman consider it one of the nation's top walleye fisheries. Other species present include bluegill, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, perch, burbot, white bass, freshwater drum, white bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, and smallmouth bass.

By far, walleye are the most sought after gamefish on the system and with record Walleye hatches in the 90s this Walleye factory will only get better. Other fish species that roam the Winnebago System are sauger, northern pike, muskie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, sunfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum (sheepshead), burbot and lake sturgeon. The Lake Winnebago System also has one of the largest populations of lake sturgeon in the world. Each February there is a special spearing season for Sturgeon through the ice. It's not uncommon for 10,000 cars to park on Lake Winnebago during the ice fishing season. Expansion cracks on the ice are bridged. Many cities along east and west shores plow roads on the icy surface. Ice fishing is dominated by sauger and walleye, with rare perch and white bass catches.

Lake Winnebago has a variety of state, county and city parks. High Cliff State Park is the only state park on Lake Winnebago. The park is in the North East corner of Lake Winnebago. The park offers camping, hiking trails, beautiful views of Lake Winnebago, a marina, beach, observation tower and picnic areas. Camping is available at Calumet County Park and Columbia County Park (Fond du Lac County). Visitors can see effigy mounds which overlook the lake at High Cliff and Calumet County Park. Many annual events take place on the Lake Winnebago Pool, including concerts, power boat events and pleasure boating rallies.

The lake is a remnant of Glacial Lake Oshkosh approximately 12,000 years ago. Ice blocked water from entering Lake Michigan at Green Bay, and the glacial lake ponded against ice since it had no outlet. Lake Winnebago is not man-made, but its level was raised by two dams erected in 1850. The lake level is today regulated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

At 137,700 acres, Lake Winnebago has room enough for whatever you like to do on the water: power boating, sailing, wind surfing, fishing, ice boating or ice fishing. The nation’s second largest inland freshwater lake is 28 miles long and 11 miles wide. It’s so big; Lake Winnebago takes up space in three counties of Wisconsin: Fond du Lac, Calumet and Winnebago. Major communities on the lake include Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Calumet County.

The lake’s 85 miles of shoreline is dotted with lighthouses, harbors, launch ramps, lakeside parks and restaurants on the water.  The Niagara Escarpment is a few miles east of Lake Winnebago. The softer Ordovician rocks that under lie the lake have eroded away, and the stronger Silurian rocks stand as a ridge that formed the lake basin.

For more information on activities in and around Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, visit:

• Winnebago County, WI
• Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce
• The State of Wisconsin
• Lake Winnebago, WI Google Map
• View Lake Winnebago, WI Area Jobs on Yahoo HotJobs
• Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin on Wikipedia.com

For more information on activities in and around the Fox Cities area in East Central Wisconsin visit:

• Leading Indicators for Life Excellence in the Fox Cities (LIFE)
• Fox River Mall
• Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
• Fox Cities Online
• Fox Cities of Wisconsin
• Barlow Planetarium
• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)

Lake Winnebago Homes, Properties and Special Feature Real Estate

Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin real estate includes a wide variety of homes for sale, condos for sale, water access properties (waterfront or scenic view), active adult communities, hobby farms and executive properties. Sellers who have been in the area for a while know our reputation for knowledgeable advice, enthusiastic service, creative marketing and professional networking. We mine every source for suitable properties so you can feel at ease that your search will produce the right kind of solution for you.

For buyers new to the area, CENTURY 21 First Realty will provide the specialized services you deserve: a strong work ethic, personal real estate expertise to help define your needs, help with selecting and securing standard financing for your purchase, special technology, constant communication throughout the transaction, and more. Our company has gained a proud reputation for providing superior benefits to our home-buying clients as we help them complete their search - from existing homes for sale, properties for sale, lots, vacant land, new construction, 55-plus and retirement communities, investment properties, waterfront, golf and recreational properties, golf course lots - all the way to luxury villas, estates and executive homes.

So when you're ready to buy or sell real estate in or around Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, please let CENTURY 21 First Realty help you find the home or property of your dreams. Contact CENTURY 21 First Realty today!

Other nearby communities have similar real estate characteristics as Lake Winnebago and may also be of interest to you in your home search. Please feel free to ask CENTURY 21 First Realty about homes for sale, lakeside/riverside properties and other real estate listings for nearby communities, such as Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna, Little Chute, Combined Locks, Kimberly, Greenville, Darboy, Hortonville, Winneconne, Winchester, Fox Valley, Fox Cities, Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, Lake Winnebago, Fox River [the one here, not near Chicago], Lake Poygan, Little Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Butte des Mortes and much more.

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