Freshwater Fishing In Sheboygan, Wisconsin 

Sheboygan's freshwater fishing is some of the best fishing that Wisconsin has to offer! Here at the sheboyganfishingguy.com website, we'll tell you about the fish that are here, where to fish for them and some of the best ways to catch them.

Most of the information on where and how to catch these fish will be from Sheboygan's best land fishing spots, land fishing rigs and land fishing baits.

Check out the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fish stocking summaries to see all of the salmon and trout that are stocked in Lake Michigan off Sheboygan's shore, in the Sheboygan River, in the Pigeon River, and in the Sheboygan Quarry!

Sheboygan's, Lake Michigan Fish

On Sheboygan's, Lake Michigan shore there's freshwater fishing for Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Whitefish, Lake Perch, Alewife (a bait fish) and Carp.

• North Pier (April to November) Map
  
  
• South Pier (April to November) Map

• Rigs It's best to use larger rods. 6-7 feet for casting and bottom fishing with bait, and 8-12 feet for jigging the sandy bottom. Fly fishing rods and reels work on calm days. Your reels should be medium to large open faced reels to hold 12-20 lbs. test line.
  
  For bottom fishing with bait, use a 1-2 oz. egg sinker with a 3-6 ft. leader and a #2-#6 size single hook. For your leader, either slide the egg sinker up the line and use a split shot sinker to hold the egg sinker at the depth you want or cut a 3-6 ft. piece of your line for a leader, slide the egg sinker on the rod's line, tie a double barrel swivel on to hold the egg sinker and then tie the leader line on the other swivel eye. You can let your bait sink to the bottom or use a piece of white Styrofoam (electronics packaging) hooked and slid up your line before you put on your bait to float it off the bottom. Once setup on the bottom use these two techniques to hold your rod. Lay your rod flat on the pier with the tip just over the edge of the pier, open the bale and use a soda can half filled with water to hold your line tight just after the open reel to alarm you and let the fish take line until you set the hook. Observe your rods closely or tie your rods down with rope to the pier with a loop around the reel handle. You can also put your rod into a rod holder, crack or hole in the pier and use a rubber band slipped onto your rod to just across the spool, open your bale and tuck the line slightly under the rubber band.
  
  Bobber fishing close to the pier with closed faced reels works well for kids and Lake Perch fishing.

• Baits The best casting lures are a "Cast Champ" (Mr. Champ), Spinner, "Cast Master", "Little Cleo" and any spoon type lure. For jigging use scented artificial baits. For bottom fishing, use Alewife (Shad) caught with a dip net, frozen Alewife from the bait shops,  fresh or frozen Smelt from the grocer, Lake Shiner, Golden Shiner and Spawn Sack. For bobber fishing use Night Crawlers, Crayfish tails, Corn and bottom fishing baits.

Sheboygan's, Marina And Harbor Fish

At Sheboygan's Marina and in the Sheboygan Harbor there's freshwater fishing for Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Perch, Bluegill, Sucker, Alewife (a bait fish) and Carp.

• Marina (April to November) Map
• Marina Ice Fishing (December to March)
• North Pier (April to November)
  
  
• South Pier (April to November) Map

• Rigs Use the same rigs as for lake fishing except do not jig the bottom, you will get snagged. You can jig along the pier's harbor side walls. When ice fishing the marina use jigging poles, tip-ups and automatic fishermen.
  
  Use the same bottom fishing rigs as for the lake.
  
  Bobber fish around the marina shoreline, along the inner pier walls or just fish your bait with no bobber next to the pier walls. Use smaller hooks, like a #10 long shank hook for fish other than salmon, large trout and Northern Pike.

• Baits Use the same baits as for lake fishing if you want salmon and trout. For the other varieties of fish also use Suckers, Shiners, Fatheads, Night Crawlers, Worms, Corn, scented artificial baits, spinners, lures and artificial crank baits.

Sheboygan's, River Fish

The Sheboygan River has freshwater fishing for Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Crappie, Catfish, Bullhead, Perch, Bluegill, Sucker and Carp.

• Boardwalk (April to November) Map
  
  
• 8th Street Bridge & 8th Street Boat Launch (April to November) Map
  
  
• Workers Water Street Park & 14th Street Bridge (April to November) Map
  
  
• 14th Street Boat Launch (April to November) Map
  
  
• Kiwanis Park (April to November) Map
  
  
• Roy Sebald, Sheboygan River Natural Area (April to November) Map
  
  
• Esslingen Park (April to November) Map

Note. (The Roy Sebald, Sheboygan River Natural Area is located at the intersection of Taylor Drive and HWY PP. Esslingen Park is 1 block west on HWY PP from this intersection. You can also fish both sides of the river between Roy Sebald and Esslingen Parks. The northern side of this section flows Willow Creek, which you can also fish. Willow Creek is the only class 2 trout stream on the Sheboygan River.)

• Rigs You can use the same rig setups as for the lake, marina and harbor fishing. You can fly fish the shoreline of Kiwanis Park. You can also fly fish the shorelines and use waders at the Roy Sebald, Sheboygan River Natural Area and Esslingen Park.
  
  Bottom fish the same as the lake, marina and harbor up to the 8th street boat launch. After the 8th street boat launch start using lighter sinkers or you will get snagged.

• Baits Use the same freshwater fishing baits as the lake, marina and harbor.

Sheboygan's smaller and shallower Pigeon River, has freshwater fishing for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Perch, Bluegill, Catfish, Bullhead, Sucker and Carp.

• Lakeshore Road Wayside (April to November) Map
  
  
• North 21st Street Bridge (April to November) Map
  
  
• Jaycee Quarry Park (April to November) Map
  
  
• Evergreen Park (April to November) Map
  
  
• Maywood Environmental Park (April to November) Map

• Rigs Use smaller rods, reels and tackle to include ultra light rods and reels. Fly fishing rods, reels and waders.
  
  Bottom fish and bobber fish with light tackle.

• Baits Use spinners, floating stick baits, scented artificial baits (Mister Twister), Lake Shiners, Golden Shiners, Fatheads, Spawn Sacs, Night Crawlers, Worms, Corn and Crayfish tails.

Freshwater Fishing Sheboygan's, Quarry

The Sheboygan Quarry, an urban inland freshwater fishing water has Rainbow Trout, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Perch, Crappie, Bluegill, Bullhead and Carp. 3,000 Rainbow Trout are planted every spring in April. Small children who can't swim should wear a life preserver.

• Jaycee Quarry Park (April to November) Map
• Jaycee Quarry Park Ice Fishing (December to March)

• Rigs Smaller rods, reels and lighter tackle. Ice fish with jigging poles, tip-ups and automatic fishermen.
  
  Bobber fishing near the sides of the quarry works best. Slip bobbers on an open faced reel are the best bobbers to use but not necessary.

• Baits Spinners, scented artificial baits, Night Crawlers, Worms, Lake Shiners, Golden Shiners, Fatheads and Corn.