DNR Reminds Anglers To Report Any Catches Of Round Goby In Winnebago System

DNR Reminds Anglers To Report Any Catches Of Round Goby In Winnebago System

Anglers that capture a suspected round goby in Winnebago System waters should keep the fish, freeze it or put it on ice in a plastic bag, and report it to the DNR. 

OSHKOSH, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asks anglers to be on the lookout for any round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Winnebago System and to report any catches or sightings of these invasive fish.

Round gobies are an aggressive invasive fish that reproduces quickly and can survive in poor water quality, leading to the displacement of native fish populations. They have been present in the Great Lakes since the early 1990s, including associated tributaries (such as the Lower Fox River) up to the first impassable dam or barrier.

The DNR has intensified monitoring efforts in the Winnebago System after a round goby was reported by an angler in Lake Winnebago near the Bowen Street Fishing Pier in Oshkosh on June 2, 2025.

After DNR fisheries and aquatic invasive species (AIS) staff verified the species of the specimen, the DNR followed response protocols and quickly mobilized an angling and trapping “blitz” to determine if additional gobies are present in the system.

Tactics including shore angling, boat angling and minnow traps were utilized from June 2-6, targeting the area where the individual reported catching the round goby, along with the channels upstream of the Neenah and Menasha dams. No round gobies were captured through these efforts and no additional angler reports have been received, indicating that there is not currently an established goby population in Winnebago System waters.

There are also several annual monitoring surveys on Lake Winnebago, as well as additional ongoing projects that allow for further detection of round gobies in the Winnebago System.

The DNR continues to consider the Menasha Dam, Neenah Dam and the closed Menasha Lock essential barriers to preventing the spread of round goby to Lake Winnebago. Round gobies were discovered in Little Lake Butte des Morts along the Lower Fox River above the impassible barrier at Rapide Croche in 2015. This prompted the voluntary closure of the Menasha Lock by the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) to prevent further upstream spread of the species.

What To Do If You Catch A Round Goby

Anglers that capture a suspected round goby in Winnebago System waters should keep the fish and freeze/put on ice in a plastic bag and report it to the DNR. The best way to report the goby is to use the DNR’s online Goby Reporting Tool, which includes an illustration of a round goby.

DNR staff will then contact the angler. Anglers may also bring suspected goby specimens to the DNR’s Oshkosh Service Center to facilitate verification.

Any round gobies captured downstream of the Neenah or Menasha dams or in Little Lake Butte des Morts do not need to be reported, as it is not a part of the Winnebago System and these areas are known to have a verified and established population of round goby. Gobies captured in Green Bay or Lake Michigan also do not need to be reported.

Preventing The Spread

Prevention remains the best way to help protect Wisconsin’s waters, as round gobies are nearly impossible to eradicate once they have been established. Anglers are reminded to never use round gobies as bait, release fish from one lake into another or throw unwanted bait into the water.

Under chapter NR 40, Wis. Admin. Code, round goby are a restricted species in Wisconsin, meaning they cannot be transported, transferred or introduced. A deceased goby can be legally transported to a DNR office for identification.