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This summer, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed that round gobies — an invasive fish species — have been caught in Lake Winnebago. Previously, round gobies were detected in Little Lake Butte des Morts and other parts of the Winnebago system for about a decade, but had not crossed upstream past the Menasha Lock, which was closed in part to curb their spread. In June, an angler first reported a round goby caught off the Bowen Street Fishing Pier in Oshkosh. Follow-up efforts by the DNR led to more gobies being captured in the same area. These fish are known to compete with native species for food and may eat eggs of game and panfish, posing potential ecological impacts, though early assessments haven’t shown major changes in fish populations yet. Once established, round gobies are nearly impossible to eradicate, so the DNR continues monitoring and is asking anglers to report any suspected sightings — either through the DNR’s online reporting tool or by bringing specimens to local DNR service centers.
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