PESHTIGO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The spawning run is on for sturgeon in the rivers and streams flowing into the waters of Green Bay, and a new vantage point over the Peshtigo River gives spectators a never-before look at the prehistoric fish.
After about a 14-mile swim upstream, hundreds of sturgeon gather on Thursday below the dam on the Peshtigo River.
“Tails were going out. You could see they’re spawning right now,” said Mike Donofrio, DNR Fisheries Team Supervisor.
Donofrio tells FOX 11 male sturgeon have been in that part of the river for weeks, but in the last couple days, the females arrived.
“We can see spawning all the way into late May, but we know this year, it’s kind of our early spring, so yeah, this is early for sure.”
Donofrio says the sturgeon are very similar to those found in the Lake Winnebago System.
“They are different strains. These are what a geneticist would call the Peshtigo-Oconto strain. Menominee’s a different strain, and the the Fox-Wolf, is a third strain.”
Peshtigo Mayor Cathi Malke tells FFOX 11 in years past, behind a nearby fence provided a good view of the spawning run, but a 160-foot long platform installed last fall, changed the game.
“It’s just been a tremendous outpour of people coming to see all the fish from above, and with all our educational plaques along the walkway as well, to help people learn more about what they’re looking at, has really been a nice response.”
Donofrio explains what happens after the sturgeon spawn….
“They’re depositing their eggs. They’re adhesive eggs, so they’ll stick to the limestone that’s here, hatch out in a week or two, and then the larvae start drifting downstream. And those small fingerlings will stay in this river until August, September, then they’re out in the bay for the rest of their lives.” said Donofrio.
Donofrio says the run on the Peshtigo River is just beginning, and he expects there could be two more spawning events over the next couple of weeks.
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