LAKE WINNEBAGO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The 2023 Sturgeon Spearing Season is over, and many say changing weather conditions both on the ice and below the frozen surface had an impact.
“I would say that this year was a very successful year. I mean, even with the weird weather, we had a lot of spearers come out, and a lot of fish were harvested,” said Margaret Stadig, DNR Sturgeon Biologist.
Stadig says rain, snow and windy conditions created challenges for those on the ice.
“The Upriver season was surprisingly long,” she said.
During the scheduled 16-day campaign on lakes Poygan, Winneconne and Butte des Morts, spearers registered 285 fish, triggering the harvest caps and closing the season after eight days.
“And that was definitely much more because of the deteriorating ice conditions,” said Stadig.
Stadig says conditions on Lake Winnebago had an impact too. She says water clarity below the ice started at about 13 feet.
“Most people were seeing bottom, which was great. We then had that rain event that came through, and it kind of muddied the water. “This past weekend, a lot of people were saying just water clarity was not as great as it has been. Six feet, maybe three feet in others.”
Spearers harvested 1,120 sturgeon, which was 49 fewer than in 2022. The 2023 campaign ranks 25th out of 83 seasons on Lake Winnebago. System-wide, there were 46 fish over 100 pounds. Season champion Jim Gishkowsky speared the 177.3-pound, 79.9-inch monster on Lake Winnebago on Feb. 14.
“Just amazed. I never seen a fish that big. That’s the biggest fish I’ve ever seen,” said Gishkowsky.
The DNR reports it is the seventh-largest sturgeon taken across the Winnebago system.
And with pandemic protocols over, 10 registration stations returned to their traditional locations.
“The number of people that came out to just celebrate with the spearers and enjoy, chat with the biologists, the technicians, all the DNR employees — it was really exciting to see,” said Stadig.
Next up for the sturgeon is the spawning season, which typically begins in April.
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