LAKE WINNEBAGO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Poor ice conditions throughout the Sturgeon Spearing Season led to fewer fish harvested in 2024. But on the final day of the 2024 Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Season some spearers were still trying to take advantage of the last day.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports on the final Sunday, 7 lake sturgeon were harvested on Lake Winnebago (0 juvenile females, 3 adult females and 4 males), bringing the Lake Winnebago total to 45 juvenile females, 102 adult females and 155 males.
DNR observers said spearers were also back on the Upriver Lakes for the last day of the season, where 6 lake sturgeon were speared (0 juvenile females, 1 adult female and 5 males). All the fish were registered at the Indian Point registration station. This makes the final Upriver totals for the season 26 juvenile females, 33 adult females and 71 males. Today, the largest fish came from Lake Poygan. It was a 125.7-pound, 75.1-inch, F4 female speared by Kevin Pawlacyk, according to the DNR.
View the full details in today’s harvest report.
The DNR reported the southwest corner of Lake Winnebago had a majority of the spearers and ended up harvesting almost 50% of lake sturgeon for the entire system (225 of 425 lake sturgeon harvested).
The top two largest fish this year were harvested on the Upriver Lakes: a 148.0-pound female and a 125.7-pound female. This year, only 9 sturgeon over 100 pounds were harvested. On Lake Winnebago, the largest lake sturgeon harvested was a 113.6-pound female.
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