Towing in Butte des Morts, WI
Towing in Butte des Morts, WI from Oshkosh Towing & Roadside covers flatbed towing on a rollback, wheel-lift towing for short hops into Oshkosh, winch-outs from snowbanks and shoreline ditches, jump starts, lockouts, fuel delivery and flat tire changes. Our tow operators also take accident towing calls and handle motorcycle towing with soft straps and a wheel chock. Light-duty cars, SUVs and pickups are the daily work, and medium-duty box trucks get a truck sized for them. Dispatch quotes the price on the call, before anyone heads your way.
Butte des Morts is an unincorporated community of 1,005 people (2020 census) in Winnebago County, split between the towns of Winneconne and Oshkosh on the north shore of the lake it shares a name with. From Oshkosh our trucks reach it in about 6 miles by I-41 and County S (Washington St), well inside our service area. We also tow in Ripon.
Licensed and insured
Flatbed and wheel-lift trucks
The I-41 Causeway and Interchanges Near Butte des Morts
Most of our calls in this corner of Winnebago County start on I-41. The interstate crosses the east end of Lake Butte des Morts on a bridge and causeway, and WisDOT counted 82,900 vehicles a day between the US 45 and WIS 21 interchanges in 2025. That is heavy traffic on a stretch with water on both sides and very little shoulder to spare.
In 2024 WisDOT spent $2.04 million rehabilitating the causeway between WIS 21 and US 45, with crews on it from May 28 into early October. Lane shifts like those bring rear-end crashes and stalled cars with nowhere to pull over, and that is the work our accident towing crews do: load the car, sweep the glass and get the lane open.
What should I do if my car dies on the causeway?
Stay buckled in with your hazards on unless smoke or leaking fuel forces you out, then wait behind the guardrail, away from traffic. Call dispatch and say which direction you were driving. Wisconsin's Move Over law requires passing drivers to leave the lane next to a tow truck with flashing lights, or slow down.
The same bridge carries the Tribal Heritage Crossing of the Wiouwash State Trail, so walkers and cyclists use the east end in the warm months. We set up the truck with them in mind. Highway work is risky for everyone at the roadside: a AAA Foundation study found 89% of roadside workers killed in the US died on roads posted at 55 mph or more.
Lake Butte des Morts in Winter
The lake covers 8,575 acres but is only 9 feet deep at its deepest point. The Fox and Wolf rivers feed it, and it drains by the Fox into Lake Winnebago. Once it freezes, ice anglers head out after walleye, pike, perch and sturgeon, and pickups, trailers and side-by-sides follow them down to the launches.
Most of the lake jobs we see happen at the edges: a truck that slid off a snowy access road, a trailer that jackknifed on a frozen ramp, a car buried in a plowed bank by the landing. A winch-out handles most of them. We run the winch line from solid ground, and a snatch block lets us change the angle of the pull when the vehicle sits sideways to the road.
If a vehicle is out on the ice itself, tell dispatch exactly where it sits and how far it is from shore. We will tell you on the call whether our winch can reach it from land or whether it needs a dedicated ice recovery crew.
Snow, Deer and Sub-Zero Starts on the North Shore
Butte des Morts uses the Oshkosh weather station, which averages 39.2 inches of snow a year and a January low of 10.2F. About 18.6 nights a year drop to zero or colder. A car battery loses roughly 35% of its strength at 32F and about 60% at 0F, and a cold engine can need twice the normal current to turn over.
That is why so many winter calls here end with a jump start at the bottom of a driveway instead of a tow. If the battery will not hold a charge after the jump, we take the car to whatever shop you pick.
Deer on the County Roads
Winnebago County had 532 deer crashes in 2024, and more than a third of Wisconsin's deer crashes come in October and November. The old route of Wisconsin Highway 110 along the shore and the county roads around it pass fields and woodlots. After a deer strike, a cracked radiator or a pushed-in fender usually means the car should ride home on a flatbed tow truck instead of limping there.
Towing and Roadside Services We Offer in Butte des Morts
Winch-Outs at the Lake Launches
Ice season puts pickups and trailers on slick ramps along the north shore of Lake Butte des Morts. We pull them back onto solid ground with the winch on our truck, rigging to frame points so bumpers stay attached. A ditch pull off County S, or a car stuck in a driveway snowbank, gets the same careful setup.
Flatbed Towing to Oshkosh Shops
A flatbed tow truck carries the whole vehicle with no wheels on the road, which is what an all-wheel drive SUV or an electric vehicle needs. From Butte des Morts the run to an Oshkosh dealership or repair shop is about 6 miles, and you decide where the car goes.
Jump Starts on Below-Zero Mornings
With roughly 18.6 nights a year at or below zero, dead batteries are a steady winter call along the north shore. A jump start usually gets you moving from the driveway. If the battery is past its normal 3 to 5 year life, we can tow the car to your mechanic in Oshkosh or Winneconne.
Causeway Breakdowns and Crashes
I-41 over the lake carries 82,900 vehicles a day, and one stalled car there blocks a lane fast. We handle accident recovery and breakdown tows on the causeway and at the WIS 21 and US 45 interchanges, clearing the lane and taking the car wherever you or your insurer choose.
Lockouts and Fuel Delivery
Keys locked in a car at a boat launch or a lake cottage make for a quick job. We open most vehicles with an air wedge and a long-reach tool that leaves the door seals alone. If you run dry on the way out to the ice, fuel delivery brings enough gas to reach a station in Oshkosh.
Motorcycle Towing Around the Lake
Summer rides along the old Highway 110 route end with a tow now and then. We load motorcycles on a flatbed with a motorcycle wheel chock up front and soft straps on solid frame points, never the handlebars or mirrors. Boats and RVs can be towed on request, so ask dispatch when you call.
Towing in Butte des Morts FAQ
How much does a tow from Butte des Morts to Oshkosh cost?
Most runs into Oshkosh are short, about 6 miles. HomeGuide (2026) puts a typical hook-up fee near $75 plus $2 to $4 per mile, and $50 to $125 for a 5 to 10 mile local tow. Those are national ranges, and our dispatch gives you the exact price on the phone before the truck leaves.
Do you tow on weekends and holidays in Butte des Morts?
Yes. Our dispatch answers 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including nights, weekends and holidays. Winter weekends on Lake Butte des Morts bring launch winch-outs and dead batteries, so call as soon as you know you need help and dispatch will give you an estimate of the arrival time.
Can you get a truck off the ice on Lake Butte des Morts?
Tell dispatch where the vehicle sits and how far it is from shore. The lake is only 9 feet deep at most, but ice thickness varies from spot to spot. Vehicles stuck at a launch or along the shoreline we winch from solid ground, and dispatch tells you on the call if a job needs an ice recovery crew instead.
Will you tow my car to a shop in Winneconne or Oshkosh?
We tow to any repair shop, dealership or home you choose. Butte des Morts straddles the towns of Winneconne and Oshkosh, so both are short runs, and we can go farther if your mechanic is elsewhere in the Fox Valley. We take cards, cash, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App.
Which roads around Butte des Morts cause the most tow calls?
I-41 over the lake is the big one, carrying 82,900 vehicles a day between the US 45 and WIS 21 exits. County S into Oshkosh and the shoreline roads on the old Highway 110 route get their share in winter, mostly slide-offs, dead batteries and deer strikes.
Need a Tow Truck Around Oshkosh
Tell dispatch where you are and what happened. You get the price before the truck rolls, day or night.
Or call dispatch (920) 891-8484