Annie Oakley poses with the 138.2-pound sturgeon she speared on Lake Winnebago Feb. 18, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
WISCONSIN (WTAQ-WLUK) — Sturgeon spearers have surpassed 1,000 fish for the season on Lake Winnebago.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says 21 sturgeon were speared Tuesday. Of those, 11 were registered at Pipe. That station leads the way with 354 sturgeon registered this year.
Tuesday’s total comprised three juvenile females, nine adult females and nine males.
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For the year, there have been 1,013 sturgeon speared on Lake Winnebago and another 285 on upriver lakes Poygan, Winneconne and Butte des Morts. Spearing on the upriver lakes ended Saturday.
The DNR reports many sturgeon stomachs are full of gizzard shad. The small fish, which are not native to Lake Winnebago, do not tolerate winter weather well and go through boom-and-bust population cycles. Biologists say if large numbers of shad survive what has been a mostly mild winter so far, it’s possible sturgeon could feast on them and end up with heavier weights during next year’s sturgeon season.
The DNR reminds spearers to be careful with the upcoming winter storm forecast to cause treacherous travel over the next few days.
Sturgeon spearing ends on Sunday.
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