Daily Sturgeon Season Update - Feb. 14, 2021
WINNEBAGO SYSTEM STURGEON SPEARING
FISHING WISCONSIN
THE 2021 WINNEBAGO SYSTEM STURGEON SPEARING IS NOW OPEN!
THE STURGEON SPEARING TRADITION
The Winnebago system is home to one of the largest lake sturgeon populations in North America and hosts a unique winter spear fishery. Further, the system is one of only two locations where lake sturgeon can be harvested with a spear (Black Lake, Michigan being the other). The first modern sturgeon fishery took place in 1932 and, although regulations have changed through time, the premise of using a spear to harvest a sturgeon through the ice has remained constant.
There is not a residency requirement for participating in the sturgeon spearing season, but license holders are predominantly Wisconsin residents residing within 60 miles of the Winnebago system. Over the years, the season has grown into a unique cultural event that is rich in tradition. Most spearers fish in groups comprised of family and friends. Each spearing group has their own traditions that they celebrate with each passing year and the season for most is defined by the time spent with loved ones, not the harvesting of a fish. Harvesting a fish is a bonus for spearers with good fortune, and each fish comes with a unique story that will be shared countless times over the hours and years that follow. It’s the social and traditional aspects of the sport that keep most people coming back year after year.
THE SPEARING SEASON AND HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
There are two separate spear fishing opportunities for lake sturgeon on the Winnebago System, both of which require a spearing license to participate. One fishery occurs on Lake Winnebago where the number of licenses sold for that fishery is not restricted and an individual spearer can only purchase one license per season.
The other fishery takes place on the Upriver Lakes (Butte des Morts, Winneconne, and Poygan) and is restricted to 500 license holders per season due to a much higher success rate of licensed spearers (62% vs 9% on Lake Winnebago). Spearers interested in fishing the Upriver Lakes must apply for a permit or purchase a preference point prior to an Aug. 1 deadline. Permits are then issued through a drawing where priority is granted to applicants with the most preference points. All applicants that were not awarded a permit accumulate a preference point for use in future drawings.
Spearers must purchase a spearing license for Lake Winnebago prior to an Oct. 31 deadline, but there is not a deadline for purchasing licenses on the Upriver Lakes since the number of spearers is already restricted through the drawing.
The minimum spearing age is 12 years old. Youth who turn 12 years of age between Nov. 1 and the last day of the spearing season are eligible to purchase a spearing license after the deadline. Military personnel home on leave can also purchase a license after Oct. 31. Licenses for both fisheries are $20 for Wisconsin residents and $65 for nonresidents and can be purchased through the GoWild system or at any license sales location.
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THE 2021 SPEARING SEASON
The spearing season begins on the second Saturday in February and lasts for 16 days or until any of the sex-specific harvest caps for that fishery have been reached. The 2021 sturgeon spearing season will open on Feb. 13 at 7 a.m.
Spearers can fish from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. each day the fishery is open and are required to register their fish at a DNR operated registration station by 2 p.m. of the same day the fish is harvested. Length, weight, sex, and tagging information are collected from each registered fish and that information is used to determine season length.
CHANGES FOR THE 2021 SEASON
Registrations Stations. - All DNR registration stations will be drive-thru only for the 2021 season. Spearers must remain in their vehicles throughout the registration process. To help with this new registration process, the DNR asks that all harvested sturgeon be placed on the tailgate or in an easily accessible location. Please follow the signs and cones at each registration station to ensure a smooth registration.
Registration stations will be relocated to boat landings, city parks and government building for the 2021 spearing season. The DNR remains committed to returning registration stations to businesses for future seasons once the pandemic is over.
THE 2021 SEASON SUMMARY
Feb. 14, 2021 Highlights
Day 2 of the 2021 sturgeon spearing season saw a decrease in harvest. In total, 265 fish were harvested on the Winnebago system, with 207 coming from Lake Winnebago and 58 coming from the Upriver Lakes. The registration stations on the north end of Lake Winnebago had the highest totals again today, with the Harrison Town Hall station (52) leading the way. The Winneconne (Marble Park) registration station (23) registered the most fish on the Upriver Lakes. The Upriver Lakes harvest has surpassed 50% of the allotted cap for both males and adult females. However, the Upriver Lakes season will likely continue into mid/late week. Lake Winnebago and system-wide harvest caps remain in the distance and are unlikely to be met during the upcoming week.
Click here for the daily harvest report.
The largest fish harvested on Lake Winnebago today was a 121.6 pound (76.1 inches) F4 female speared by Reid Crump. Reid’s fish was registered at Grundman Road. Steven Loker harvested the largest fish on the Upriver Lakes: a 119-pound 74.1-inch F4 female harvested on Lake Poygan. Females at the F4 reproductive stage are lake sturgeon that would be spawning this coming spring.
The clear skies on day two of the season allowed for aerial shack counts to be conducted. Lake Winnebago totaled 4,326 shacks. The east (894) and southeast (872) zones of the lake had the highest number of shacks, while the west (455) zone had the least. The Upriver Lakes shack count survey resulted in 389 total shacks observed. The majority of shacks counted on the Upriver lakes were on Lake Poygan (329).
Select "Winnebago Harvest" or "Upriver Lakes Harvest" below for the full breakdown of the daily harvest report.
Feb. 13, 2021 Highlights
It’s finally here! The opening day of Wisconsin’s 2021 sturgeon spearing season was frigid and snowy.
In total, 437 lake sturgeon were harvested on the Winnebago System, including 169 on the Upriver Lakes and 268 from Lake Winnebago. On Lake Winnebago, the registration stations at the Harrison Town Hall and the Winnebago County Boat Landing led the way with 76 and 59 lake sturgeon, respectively. The Marble Park registration station in Winneconne registered 69 lake sturgeon, the most fish on the Upriver Lakes.
Opening day aerial shanty counts did not take place due to inclement weather. However, we hope to be able to collect that data on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Water clarity remains clear in many areas of the Winnebago System. We anticipate harvest increases on day two of the season. There is a long way to go before hitting quotas on Lake Winnebago, as only 129 adult females and 44 juvenile females were harvested today. The Upriver Lakes harvest has reached 40% of the allotted cap in the adult female and male categories.
Select "Winnebago Harvest" or "Upriver Lakes Harvest" below for the full breakdown of the daily harvest report.
In total, 16 fish harvested on the system today weighed in at over 100 pounds, including a 160.1 pound (77 inches) F4 speared by Adam Derksen. Adam speared his fish on Lake Winnebago making it the largest fish harvested on the system today. The largest fish speared on the Upriver Lakes was a 127.2 pound (73.1 inches) F4 harvested by Steven Schilling on Lake Poygan.
The sturgeon spearing season on the Winnebago system opens this Saturday Feb. 13 and we’d like to see your photos of cutting in, shanty life, scenic views observed during the season, harvested sturgeon and anything else that captures the spearing tradition!
Please be sure to include a brief description for use in future outreach efforts when you submit your photos through the Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing Photo Submission Form.
As a reminder, registration stations have been relocated to parking lots at boat landings, city parks and government buildings and will be operated as drive-thru only for the 2021 season.
To help with this new registration process, please place your harvested sturgeon on tailgates or in an easily accessible location before entering the registration area and have your customer id number readily available. For public safety reasons, spearers MUST remain in their vehicles throughout the entire registration process.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SPEARING SEASON
There are a number of questions that are routinely asked by sturgeon spearers. The questions below are some of the more frequently asked.
- Do I need to tag my sturgeon?
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Carcass tags must be validated immediately upon harvest by removing the validation stub. The validated tag must stay with the sturgeon until presented at a DNR-operated registration station. The tag does not need to be attached to the sturgeon unless the license holder leaves the fish.
- Can my friend sit with me in the shanty and not have a license?
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Yes, the person with the valid license is the only person who can spear a fish. An unlicensed person or person, who has already filled their tag, cannot be inside a shanty alone with a spear. Note: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNR urges spearers and spectators to practice social distancing and to wear a mask when social distancing is not possible.
- What do spearers do with the fish after they are harvested?
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Most fish are consumed by the spearer with smoking and frying being the two most common preparation techniques. Some fish are mounted as well. These are normally larger or smaller fish in the harvest.
- How do I register my sturgeon?
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A person who spears a sturgeon must accompany the fish to a DNR operated sturgeon registration station by 2 p.m. on the day it was speared. Any fish harvested from Lake Winnebago must be registered at one of the registration stations on Lake Winnebago. Any fish harvested from Lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne or Poygan (the Upriver Lakes) must be registered at one of the registration stations on the Upriver Lakes.
All DNR registration stations will be drive-thru only for the 2021 season. Spearers must remain in their vehicles throughout the registration process. To help with this new registration process, the DNR asks that all harvested sturgeon be placed on the tailgate or in an easily accessible location. Please follow the signs and cones at each registration station to ensure a smooth registration. - What kind of equipment will I need to spear a sturgeon?
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The equipment needed to participate in sturgeon spearing is fairly specialized. A darkened shack or enclosure is needed for better visibility. A saw is needed to open a hole in the ice, although this service can typically be obtained at a cost. Once the hole is cut, the equipment used to attract and harvest a fish is often hand-crafted heirlooms that are passed down through generations.
For example, spearers typically use decoys as attractants. Most decoys are carved into the shape of a fish, but spearers are also superstitious by nature and have been known to deploy just about anything as decoy including copper jello molds, CDs, and white coffee cups. The spears that are used are also hand-made by local vendors and come in all shapes and sizes. Generally, the spears are constructed with long handles, 6-8’ in length, and have detachable spear heads. The equipment needed to get started with sturgeon spearing may seem intimidating, but there are guide services available that range in service from cutting a hole to providing a fully furnished shack.
- What can I put on the bottom or use for a decoy?
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Whatever is placed in the water must be removed or retrieved when requested. In most cases, items are attached to a string or can be “hooked” for removal. Decoy types are unlimited if they don’t involve any artificial lights (glow sticks are illegal) or hooks. Minnows can be used provided they are in a sealed container. Regulations related to minnow use and transportation (VHS rules) on the Winnebago system apply.
- Can I be in a shanty after hours with a dismantled spear (head removed)?
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Spearers can be in a shanty after hours, but they cannot be in a shanty with a spear after hours. This includes those shanties where the hole is temporarily covered. If the spear head is removed it must be placed outside the shanty when occupied.
WINNEBAGO SYSTEM STURGEON SPEARING FINAL HARVEST REPORTS 2016-2020
- Lake sturgeon harvest report 2020 [PDF]
- Lake sturgeon harvest report 2019 [PDF]
- Lake sturgeon harvest report 2018 [PDF]
- Lake sturgeon harvest report 2017 [PDF]
- Lake sturgeon harvest report 2016 [PDF]
STURGEON SPEARING VIGNETTES
Learn more about the sturgeon spearing season with these short stories on miscellaneous spearing topics.