OCONTO COUNTY – The Tourism & Economic Development Corporation for the Oconto Region (TEDCOR) recently released their 2025 economic impact study that examined who visits Oconto County and how tourists have a positive effect on the local economy.
This study — supported by the Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation and The Harbinger Consultancy — drew from over 150 online surveys completed by non-local visitors.
Through this, it was discovered that 97% of all tourists were repeat visitors, with 23% of people visiting between six and 10 times and 36% visiting over 10 times.
When visiting, the primary activity that people take part in is fishing from a boat. A total of 61% of people partook in angling, distantly followed 28% going on ATV or UTV rides.
For those working in Oconto County’s tourism industry, fishing is more than a pastime — it’s a lifeline.
This became clear to licensed fishing guide and United States Coast Guard Charter Captain Lynn Niklasch of Your Fishin’ Pal Guide Service.
After turning his long-term fishing hobby into a part-time business while living in southern Wisconsin, Niklasch was drawn to the Oconto region.
“When I give people the choice, ‘Do you want to go out of Green Bay and do this or do you want to go out of Oconto and do that?’ a lot of people choose Oconto. There’s a fish cleaning station there and usually good parking at the boat launches,” he explained.
Many people in the region have found a lucrative business opportunity through becoming fishing guides. According to the economic impact report, the activity with the highest average group spending per visit was fishing from a boat at $2,012 followed closely by fishing from the shore or pier at $1,976.
Over the years of traveling around the state as a guide, it became clear to Niklasch that this area was special for reasons beyond being the unofficial “Walleye Capital of the World.”
This draw is part of what keeps visitors coming not just year after year, but multiple times during a single year.
“The data suggests a visitor profile different from other tourism destinations. Rather than relying on a constant influx of new guests, Oconto County appears to attract a core group of outdoor enthusiasts who treat the area as their go-to destination throughout the year,” the report stated.
One way that Niklasch gains return customers is by constantly diversifying his offerings.
“If you have something different to offer every month, it makes people more willing to come two, three or four times a year, because how many times is somebody going to go muskie fishing on the same local lake?” he explained.
Niklasch said he pays attention to popular fishing programs that influence interests, fishing limit laws and seasonal trends as well forming positive relationships and experiences to guarantee people have fun and book with him again.
Ensuring that visitors have a good experience and become return customers doesn’t just benefit Niklasch, but also impacts other local businesses.
Since most visitors travel to the region in groups of two to four people and stay for three or four nights each trip they are also spending money on hotels or vacation rentals. For boat anglers, this includes an average of $170 spent per night on lodging as well as a daily spending average of $180 on general shopping.
Paul Lukas, owner of North Shore Bait Company in Oconto, explained to TEDCOR the impact of tourism shopping, “In our small city of Oconto, the Bay of Green Bay is our bread and butter. We can’t make it on locals alone — we need those repeat visitors coming back season after season. These aren’t just tourists passing through — they’re people who care about this place as much as we do.”
Niklasch also spoke about instances where fishing tourism created a positive influence in businesses, noting that one of his favorite places to recommend for groups is The Dockside on Harbor Road in Oconto.
“[The waitresses] actually thanked me for not only coming for tournaments, but for being up here with customers a lot throughout the year,” he said, adding that an influx of tourists creates tips that go home with staff and are then spent in the community once again.
Understanding how fishing tourism creates a ripple effect throughout the local economy, TEDCOR shared that the next step is researching how to increase the frequency of recreational tourism and build loyalty.
“With better data, communities and businesses can make more informed decisions about how to leverage outdoor recreation for economic development while maintaining the authentic experiences that created this loyal visitor base in the first place,” the release closed with.
To learn more about Your Fishin’ Pal Guide Service and the wide variety of charter fishing services — including ice fishing — that Niklasch offers, visit www.fishinpal.com/ or Your Fishin’ Pal on Facebook. He can also be reached at (262) 370-6771.
For more information about the 2025 economic impact study, view the report online at https://visitocontocounty.org/ or contact TEDCOR at (920) 834-6969.
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