Winnebago system sturgeon spearing is fast approaching. Here's what you need to know.
Sturgeon spearers will take to the ice this year starting Feb. 11, and registration stations are back to local supper clubs and other businesses.
The season runs up to 16 days or until any of the harvest caps are met. This year's systemwide caps are 350 juvenile females, 793 adult females and 1,231 males, according to Margaret Stadig, senior fisheries biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources.
Last year, spearers hauled in 1,518 lake sturgeon, with 1,169 on Lake Winnebago and 349 on the Upriver Lakes, comprising lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan.
For the past two years, the DNR implemented contactless drive-thru registration stations, but announced this year the stations would return to their pre-pandemic locations.
"Some of the registration locations will have a drive-thru option, though people do not have to stay in their vehicles if they do not want," Stadig said. "We just wanted to give spearers the option to easily get their fish to registration stations."
Spearers must register any harvested sturgeon by 2 p.m. each day at a DNR-operated registration station. Registration workers will ask spearers to put their take on tailgates or in an easily accessible location so the DNR can collect the data necessary to manage the Winnebago system sturgeon fishery.
A fish harvested from Lake Winnebago must be registered at one of the registration stations on Lake Winnebago:
Waverly Beach Resort, N8770 Fire Lane 1, Menasha
Stockbridge Harbor Bar, 1919 W. Lake St., Chilton
Quinney Quencher, W5626 Quinney Road, Chilton
Jim and Linda's Supper Club, W3496 County Road W, Malone
Wendt's Marine, N9691 Lakeshore Drive, Van Dyne
Jerry's Tavern, 1210 Ceape Ave., Oshkosh
Payne's Point Bar & Grill, 1557 Paynes Point Road, Neenah
Any fish harvested from lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne or Poygan must be registered at one of the Upriver Lakes registration stations:
Critters Wolf River Sports, 700 W. Main St., Winneconne
Boom Bay Bar and Grill, 7884 Cut Off Lane, Larsen
Indian Point Tavern, County Trunk H, half a mile east of Tustin
Individual harvest caps for Lake Winnebago are set this year to 280 juvenile females, 714 adult females and 985 adult males. Harvest caps for the Upriver Lakes are 70 juvenile females, 79 adult females and 246 adult males.
The DNR has sold over 13,200 spearing licenses this year, Stadig said.
The spearing season's success each year depends on water clarity, which the DNR tests closer to the season, and ice conditions, which is monitored by local fishing clubs.
Wisconsin's Winnebago system holds one of the world's largest, self-sustaining lake sturgeon populations, and data collected from harvested fish help implement the harvest cap system and set caps for future seasons.
For more information on sturgeon spearing and updates on the upcoming season, visit the DNR's website.
Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @daphlemke.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Sturgeon spearing on Winnebago system has a change in store for 2023
