2-9-14 Sturgeon spearing report - follow up
I wanted to provide some background information on just how this season’s opening day compared to opening day in past seasons that had similar regulations. Most notably the 6-hour season was initiated in 2002, so I compared this year’s opening day harvest to opening days since 2002. The attached document shows the average water clarity, opening day shanty count on Lake Winnebago, and the opening day harvest on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes. As shown in the document, this year’s opening day harvest of 636 fish is the 2nd highest during this time series. The 242 fish harvested today on the Upriver Lakes is also the highest opening day harvest on the Upriver Lakes since the lottery fishery was implemented in advance of the 2007 season. So when looking at these data further, today was truly a successful day for sturgeon spearers on the Winnebago System. I look forward to building on these successes tomorrow and continuing the successful season!
Ryan P. Koenigs
Senior Fisheries Biologist / Winnebago Sturgeon Biologist
Oshkosh Fisheries Team
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
