Winnebago System sturgeon spearing 2020
Brandon Lamers registerd the largest fish on the Upriver Lakes on 2/15/2020. Brandon registered his 63.1 pound, 61.3 inch lake sturgeon at Indian Point.
February 16, 2020.
The 2nd weekend of the 2020 sturgeon spearing season has now concluded. The 41 fish harvested from Lake Winnebago today was the 2nd highest daily harvest for the season, besting yesterday’s total by one fish. Our registration station at Jim and Linda’s paced the way again today with 17 fish registered followed by Wendt’s with 7 fish and Stockbridge Harbor and Quinney each with 5 fish. There were 25 fish harvested from the Upriver Lakes today with 13 fish registered at Indian Point and 12 at Critter’s.
The largest fish registered on the system today was 98.4 pounds, 70.2 inches and registered at Payne’s Point by Hunter Seelow. Zach Southard had the largest fish on the Upriver Lakes today when he registered his 87.1 pound, 67.5 inch lake sturgeon at Critter’s.
We will be closing several of our registration stations during the upcoming week due to the anticipated drop in harvest. Our registration stations at Waverly Beach, Quinney, Jerry’s Bar, and Boom Bay will all be closed for the remainder of the season. Successful spearers on Lake Winnebago can register their fish at Stockbridge Harbor, Jim and Linda’s in Pipe, Wendt’s, or Payne’s Point. Successful spearers on the Upriver Lakes can register their fish at either Critter’s or Indian Point.
Good luck during the remainder of the season!
- Ryan Koenigs, fisheries biologist, Oshkosh
Lake Winnebago system sturgeon spearing regulations 2020
Winnebago System sturgeon spearing regulations and information pamphlet 2020 [PDF]
Daily harvest - February 16, 2020
Daily sturgeon tally sheet [PDF]
2020 Lake Winnebago - as of February 16, 2020
| Daily harvest | Season harvest | Harvest cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juvenile females | 3 | 24 | 344 |
| Adult females | 18 | 126 | 855 |
| Males | 20 | 110 | 976 |
| Totals | 40 | 183 | - |
2020 Upriver Lakes - as of February 16, 2020
| Daily harvest | Season harvest | Harvest cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juvenile females | 4 |
38 |
86 |
| Adult females | 7 |
57 |
95 |
| Males | 14 | 139 | 240 |
| Totals |
41 |
25 | - |
Tagging your sturgeon
2020 Winnebago system sturgeon vignettes
History of the Upriver Lakes sturgeon spear fishery and trends in the modern era
More information about the history of the Upriver Lakes spear fishery can be viewed in the document History of the Upriver Lakes Sturgeon Spear Fishery and Trends in the Modern Era. [PDF]
Sturgeon spearing culture
The ice-fishing season for lake sturgeon is more about getting together and fishing together than harvesting a lunker.
- Sturgeon spearing season: the good ol' days are right now - Badger Sportsman, Jan/Feb 2015
- A Small Window for a Big Opportunity - Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, February 2011
Sturgeon guard
There are two critical time periods for collecting data from our sturgeon population, the annual spearing season and spring spawning assessments. Each year thousands of lake sturgeon migrate up the tributaries of the Winnebago System (Wolf, upper Fox, Embarrass and Little Wolf Rivers most notably) to spawn. The sturgeon spawn along rocky shorelines on outside river bends and literally spawn at your feet. This provides a great opportunity to view sturgeon spawning in the wild, which is an experience not available anywhere else in North America. However, poaching has historically been a concern given the vulnerability of these majestic fish during spawning. The Sturgeon Guard program was implemented to curtail the illegal activity and protect these fish during spawning periods. At first, law enforcement officers would monitor known spawning sites, but it was difficult for the warden staff to cover all of the known spawning areas with a limited work force. The Sturgeon Guard program then went public and the rest is history. The general public can now sign up for 12-hour shifts to watch sturgeon spawn and protect the fish from harassment and other illegal activity. There are hundreds of folks who sign up every year for this opportunity, and this really is an example of a successful collaboration between the community and the DNR that has helped the population significantly increase! As the spearing season draws near the end, I thought it would be beneficial to highlight a potential next opportunity for folks interested in sturgeon and that opportunity is volunteering through the Sturgeon Guard program.
Contact Information
For Winnebago System sturgeon information or local conditions and season updates during the sturgeon season, contact Ryan Koenigs, fisheries biologist, Oshkosh