Streich's Beach on Lake Winnebago

This weekend my wife had to go to work. So it was just me and the kids. I asked the kids what they wanted to do and they said let's take the boat to Streich's!

Where is Streich's and what is it all about? I forget sometimes that people really don't know about this place. There are a couple of names out there that you will hear. Streich's Beach, The Party Cove, Streich's Bay, Streich's Cove, or Streich Point.

Now that we have a name, what is Streich's all about? As the name suggests, it is a shallow cove on Lake Winnebago with a nice sand bottom. There really is not a beach that you see on the shoreline. It is set along private property. So you can't get to it without a boat. From the shoreline heading out into the lake, there are about 5 sand bars that change in depth as you go out. This is great for boaters as you can park your boat and not hit the bottom but still stand in shallow water. It is about 1 foot deep up by the shoreline and increases in depth as you go out about 300 ft. It will reach a depth of six feet or more. The shallow area up by the shoreline is good for kids, playing volleyball, or throwing the football. A perfect location for boat tie-ups and just relaxing while watching others or wandering around and meeting fellow boaters. I have done both and have enjoyed this spot for well over 30 years. My first experience with Streich's was the old barge parties back in the late 80's. I had a buddy from work tell me about this barge party that was going to be at the party cove in Oshkosh. Sounded like a blast to me so we headed out of Oshkosh at around 9 AM in the morning in a small fishing boat. We drove out into the lake about one mile and saw all the boats lined up. I remember it looked crazy! 100's of boats all parked in the cove surrounding a large barge that was out about 400 ft from the shoreline. We got parked and tied up next to some people we didn't know. But they were super cool and fun. They told us about the event and helped us get tied up. It was a bit overwhelming how many people were there. We headed up to see the band it was Vic Ferrari. They got the crowd excited and the day was a blast. Great music, great people and so much fun to just watch the whole thing happen. I was hooked! The barge parties died out a few years later. Due to a nasty storm that messed up the barge and a bunch of boats. But people continued to go to the beach and enjoy seeing the boats and crazy boaters. That is why I bought the WiBarge boat and why I do barge parties today. My favorite thing about boaters is how much fun they are. Not every one of them is great! But for the most part, the vast majority love to talk and party with everyone.

If you have never been out to Streich. Put it on your list of things to do!

Is it ok to bring children to the party cove? I have been asked this a number of times.

The beach used to follow an unwritten rule of the East side of the cove was the party zone and the West side was more low-key with kids. That has faded in the last few years. When we bring the kids we try to watch who we park by. If there are boats filled with families we hang there. If I see a boat full of 20-year-olds ready to party we move on down the cove. It really can be a great place for families as well as for the party scene. Just use common sense and try to park next to like-minded boaters. Sometimes you might have to pick up and make a move. What happens with the party crews? Well as you would imagine you will hear some very colorful swearing, heavy drinking, and possibly nudity. Enter certain areas at your own risk!

Here is a bunch of photos and some video of what the day was like. August 6^th 2022

See all of our boating pictures on the Wiparty Boating Photo Gallery.