OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The numbers from the opening day of sturgeon spearing indicate most people heeded warnings about dangerous ice conditions.
58 sturgeon were harvested between Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. That compares to 522 sturgeon harvested on opening day last year and 431 on 2022’s opening day.
The DNR also reports there were just over 450 shacks and pop-up tents on Lake Winnebago compared to 3,000 on opening day last year and 6,000 in 2022.
For Lake Winnebago, 45 lake sturgeon were harvested – 29 adult males, 12 adult females, and 4 juvenile males. The southwest Winnebago registration station was busiest with 32 sturgeon reported. The DNR says that was likely due to the ice conditions.
The Upriver Lakes had 170 shacks and tents observed on Lake Poygan and 42 on Lake Butte des Morts.
The DNR says 13 lake sturgeon were harvested on the Upriver Lakes – 7 males, 3 females, and 3 juvenile females.
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