Sturgeon spearing season to begin
Weather cooperating for opening weekend on Winnebago system
Recent warm weather negatively affected ice conditions and water clarity, but a forecast for cold temperatures over the coming days has buoyed optimism as spearers prepare for Wisconsin’s annual sturgeon season on the Winnebago System.
“There’s only one opening day,” said Paul Muche of Van Dyne. “And we are looking forward to being out there, you bet.”
The 2019 Winnebago System sturgeon spearing season opens at 7 a.m. Saturday.
The season will run until protective harvest caps are reached or Feb. 24, whichever comes first.
Muche, three relatives and one friend hold Upriver Lakes tags this year.
He has been scouting in recent weeks on lakes Butte des Morts, Poygan and Winneconne to find optimal water clarity, ice and fish conditions.
Last weekend’s 40 to 50 degree temperatures caused melting and increased stream flows and runoff into the lakes. As a result, spearers have been on the lookout for changes in water clarity.
“We’ve got some spots that have been pretty good, and we’re hoping they don’t change,” Muche said. “We are getting excited.”
With freezing temperatures, including overnight lows in the single digits, predicted from Thursday through opening day, ice conditions are expected to be conducive for spearers.
The lakes were largely free of snow on Wednesday and featured 10 to 14 inches of ice in most places.
As they do each season, area fishing clubs will help maintain bridges over cracks or ice roads as necessary.
The 2019 season is the 88th consecutive sturgeon spearing season managed on the system by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (or its forerunner, the Wisconsin Conservation Commission).
It’s one of only two winter fisheries for lake sturgeon in the U.S. (the other is in Michigan).
The Winnebago System contains one of the largest and best-managed sturgeon populations in the world.
The sturgeon population in the Lake Winnebago system is estimated at 19,000 adult females and 24,000 adult males, as well as an undetermined number of juvenile fish, said Ryan Koenigs, sturgeon biologist for the Department of Natural Resources.
Fisheries biologists closely regulate the season to protect the fish from overharvest.
Harvest caps are established to keep the take at or below 5% of the population.
The system-wide harvest caps are the same in 2019 as they were the two previous years: 430 juvenile females, 950 adult females and 1,200 males.
The DNR regulates the harvest separately for Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes.
Only 500 permits are issued annually for the Upriver Lakes; an unlimited number of licenses are sold for Lake Winnebago.
Since the two-part system was instituted in 2007, the average Upriver Lakes season has closed after six days.
The Lake Winnebago system typically stays open at least several days longer, and often runs the full 16 days.
Last year ice conditions were good but water clarity was an average of 6.5 feet, the lowest since 2006 (6 feet). The result was 654 sturgeon harvested in a season that lasted 16 days on Lake Winnebago.
Overall, spearers registered 951 sturgeon (including 297 on the Upriver Lakes) in 2018.
The 2018 spearing season ranked 42nd highest for harvest of the last 78 seasons (data are available back to 1941).
The heaviest fish taken last year was a 155.6 pound, 75-inch long sturgeon taken on opening day. It was also the heaviest fish harvested from the Winnebago System since 2014.
The state sold 12,896 licenses for the 2019 sturgeon spearing season, including 12,411 for Lake Winnebago and 485 for the Upriver Lakes.
Koenigs said water clarity ranged from 5 to 11 feet at midweek, readings that would likely lead to a 16-day season on Lake Winnebago.
The opportunities presented to spearers are historic, however.
“These are really the good old days when it comes to sturgeon spearing on the Winnebago System,” Koenigs said. “There are more fish in the system now than there have been for decades and more big fish than we have had at least since the early 1900s.”
Spearing hours run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and all sturgeon must be presented at a registration station by 2 p.m. on the day of harvest for registration by DNR personnel.
Ice fishing clinics: Youth ages 15 and younger are invited to discover ice fishing on Saturday at the 28th annual Kids’ Ice Fishing Clinics. The free clinics will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at five park lagoons in Milwaukee County.
Participants will receive instruction on ice fishing equipment and techniques, such as knot tying and jig fishing, as well as ice safety.
The clinics are led by members of local fishing clubs and last 45 minutes, and then the young anglers can begin fishing. Classes are held on the hour starting at 9 a.m., with the final session beginning at 2 p.m.
The clinics are a cooperative effort of the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, Milwaukee County Parks, the Hunger Task Force Fish Hatchery, the Department of Natural Resources and local fishing clubs.
For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov or call (414) 382-7923. Here are the locations and sponsoring fishing clubs for the clinics:
Brown Deer Park: 7835 N. Green Bay Road, hosted by Okauchee Fishing Club.
Dineen Park: 6901 W. Vienna St., hosted by the Inner City Sportsmen’s Club.
Humboldt Park: 3000 S. Howell Ave., hosted by Great Lakes Sport Fishermen.
McCarty Park: 8214 W. Cleveland Ave., hosted by Southside Sportsmen Club.
Scout Lake: 5902 W. Loomis Road, (wheelchair accessible) hosted by Walleyes Unlimited.