Sturgeon splash during spawning in the Wolf River at Bamboo Bend in Shiocton April 26, 2022. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Fox 11 WLUK)
SHIOCTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Sturgeon spawning activity continues in parts of the area; that includes The Wolf River in Shiocton, where the tails seem to tell a familiar tale.
When Mike Dernovsek and Al Hutchison heard the spawning run was underway, they hit the road and headed to Bamboo Bend.
“Oh, all kinds of them. It’s a joy to see them spawn, and move around and how big they are, how small they are. It’s just neat to see nature taking its course,” said Al Hutchison, Whitewater.
“You don’t see fish come up like that. They’re not spooked or nothing from us walking around, or talking,” said Mike Dernovsek, Milton.
After three days of sturgeon spawning activity, Sturgeon Guard Volunteer John Jenkins says the crowd on this stretch of the Wolf River is a little smaller Tuesday.
“This morning, it was a lot busier than it is right now. There probably were 2-300 here. Now, there’s probably 100 total. So it’s slowed down, because the fish aren’t moving. The wind picked up, and the water is cooling down,” said John Jenkins, Sturgeon Guard Volunteer.
Jenkins says watching sturgeon spawn is a popular pastime. He says guard members talk with people, and hand out information to those on shore.
“They’re really interested, and ask a lot of questions. And the kids are interested, and a lot of older people, that seen it over the years,” he said.
Department of Natural Resources Biologists say spawning activity on the part of the river near Shiocton may be winding down. Judging by the crowd there, John Jenkins agrees.
“Couple days yet maybe here. If we get heavy rains, and that’ll slow it down a little bit, because it’s going to cool the water down again. The ideal temperature is 54 degrees. I just looked at the fish. They know when it’s warm enough,” he said.
Sturgeon spawning on the Wolf River is expected to continue.
Experts say in a typical year, another stop for the prehistoric fish is the Shawano Dam, which is 125 miles upstream from Lake Winnebago.
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