Sturgeon spearing strong on opening weekend
Sturgeon spearing season’s opening weekend brought in more than a quarter of the total sturgeon needed to meet the harvest cap in Lake Winnebago – and around 71% of the Upriver Lakes harvest cap for adult females – with a weekend total of 783 fish.
Mild weather shook up ice conditions Saturday but didn’t hinder the spearing spirit, with 522 total sturgeon speared across the Lake Winnebago system, according to a news release from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Of that total, 353 sturgeon came from Lake Winnebago, and 169 came from the Upriver Lakes.
This was the first year since 2020 that registration stations were back to supper clubs and other businesses, after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift to drive-thru stations. The Pipe station on Lake Winnebago processed the most fish of the day, with 124 sturgeon passing through. The Indian Point registration station led the way for the Upriver Lakes, with 73 fish registered.
The opening day aerial shanty count, conducted by the DNR, found around 3,100 shacks, nearly half the number of opening day shanties from 2022.
Saturday’s largest catch was Rebecca Van Handel’s 143.2-pound female from the Upriver Lakes that measured 75.6 inches and was registered at the Poygan station.
Korey Krupp speared the largest sturgeon from Lake Winnebago with a 135.5pound, 76.1-inch female.
Both fish were among 21 sturgeon weighing more than 100 pounds speared on Saturday, and 26 sturgeon speared throughout the weekend.
Sunday’s harvest totaled 261 sturgeon, with 211 fish from Lake Winnebago and 50 from the Upriver Lakes.
With 254 out of 714 adult female sturgeon speared this weekend on Lake Winnebago, the highest harvest cap for the lake is already at around 36%.
On the Upriver Lakes, 56 out of 79 adult female sturgeon have been speared, ending the weekend with 71% of the allotted fish speared.
The season runs a maximum of 16 days or until the pre-determined harvest caps are met. The systemwide caps this year are set at 350 juvenile females, 793 adult females and 1,231 males.
For up-to-date details and numbers, visit dnr.wisconsin.gov.