DNR to host update on 2015 Lake Winnebago System sturgeon spearing season
OSHKOSH, Wis. -- The 2015 Lake Winnebago System sturgeon spearing season kicks off Saturday and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will host a news conference starting at 12:45 p.m. at the Payne's Point registration station to provide an overview of the action.
DNR has issued 13,134 licenses for sturgeon spearing and raised harvest caps by 6 percent for adult females this year thanks to continued strong reproduction and prudent management of the fishery. Surveys of the sturgeon population and harvest data from recent years indicate the lake and its tributaries hold increasing numbers of fish in excess of 100 pounds, said Ryan Koenigs, senior fisheries biologist and sturgeon expert for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The news conference will include an update on spearing conditions and a discussion of activity at DNR's 11 sturgeon registration stations.
· WHAT: Sturgeon spearing news conference
· WHERE: Payne's Point Hook and Spear, 1934 County Highway A, Neenah, Wis., 54956
· WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015 at 12:45 p.m.
· WHO: Ryan Koenigs, DNR senior fisheries biologist and Lake Winnebago System sturgeon expert
The 2015 sturgeon spearing season on the Lake Winnebago System runs from Feb. 14, 2015 through March 1 or until any of the established harvest caps are reached for female or male sturgeon. For the system as a whole, the caps are set at 430 juvenile females; 878 adult females and 1,250 males, but reaching caps allocated to either the Upriver Lakes or Lake Winnebago can also trigger early closure of either fishery.
To learn more about the upcoming harvest on the Lake Winnebago system, visitdnr.wi.gov and search for "Winnebago system sturgeon." For social media updates, follow the action on DNR's Facebook page and Twitter feed, @WDNR.