He's confident of fixing up new employers as soon as he's back from a holiday in Cyprus, having attracted plenty of attention during loan spells with Swindon and Milton Keynes Dons last season.
Mitchell joined Latics as a 16-year-old after being a schoolboy at Manchester City, rising through the youth ranks to join the senior set-up.
But his first team chances dried up last season as Paul Jewell's men homed in on a place in the Premiership.
Now he's looking forward to proving himself elsewhere and feels it was the right time to leave the club.
Mitchell told the Evening Post: "It's time to move on, I think I was at Wigan long enough and I need a new challenge.
"I had a long chat with the gaffer and we both felt it was best if I looked for another club so I could play more games.
"Last season I had two good loan spells at Swindon and then Milton Keynes, and it was only an injury which cut short my time at Milton Keynes.
"I tore the medial ligament in my knee and that kept me out for the last couple of months of the season.
"It knocked me off track and I think I would probably have left permanently before the transfer deadline had I been fit."
Mitchell saw the club grow dramatically in his time there, breaking into the first team squad as a first-year professional when John Benson was in charge.
The majority of his appearances at first team level came during the Second Division title-winning season, that campaign being the highlight of his Wigan career. But last season he was limited to one start in the Carling Cup at Grimsby and a four-minute substitute appearance against Leeds at Elland Road in October.
Mitchell said: "I've loved my time at Wigan, made some good friends, and the club gave me a good grounding in football.
"A few managers have come and gone, the club has grown so much, and I wish them all the luck in the world in the Premiership. The overall highlight has to be winning the Second Division title a couple of years ago, and my favourite game I played in was the Friday night 1-0 win at Bristol City that season in front of the live cameras.
"I've got a few things in the pipeline now, a few offers, and hopefully something can be sorted when I get back from Cyprus."
The end-of-season cull was not a harsh one by manager Paul Jewell, with just the three players released at the end of their contracts.
Four more – Jason Jarrett, Gary Teale, Steve McMillan and Gary Walsh – have been offered fresh terms, with the club awaiting their responses.
Meanwhile, Latics hope to release season tickets details soon as supporters ready them-selves for the Premiership.
There will be a price rise because of their elevation to top-flight status, but admission to the JJB Stadium should be among the cheapest in the top flight.