Sturgeon spawning update
Attention Winnebago System Sturgeon Enthusiasts:
The sturgeon spawning migration continues to progress on the Winnebago System and there are currently fish spawning at multiple sites throughout the watershed. Our DNR crew tagged fish at multiple sites today including the Sturgeon Trail in New London, Bamboo Bend in Shiocton, the Shawano Dam and then two separate sites on private property. In total we handled around 450 fish today, including multiple fish larger than 70” in length. All in all, it was a very productive day, but all signs are that the spawning run is progressing very fast. This was anticipated given the above average temperatures and at this point I think there may only be spawning taking place for another 2-3 days. If you want to see fish spawning tomorrow, then I recommend coming to the Shawano Dam. I was just down there less than 30 minutes ago and the fish are really started to stack into the flume below the powerhouse on the mill side and there are also fish evident on the public side of the river as well. I anticipate that tomorrow could be the big day at Shawano and our crews are geared up to tag large numbers of fish. There may still be some fish spawning at other sites further downstream on the Wolf River at Bamboo Bend and the Sturgeon Trail, but based on today’s catch I think these sites have already reached peak spawning activity. I have attached a photo of one of the very large “boats” that was handled below the Shawano Dam late this afternoon. The fish was still hard (not yet ovulating) and measured 77” and estimated to weigh around 170-180 pounds. Needless to say, I’m pretty stoked for working fish over the next couple of days!
