LAKE WINNEBAGO – Sturgeon spearing’s opening weekend attracted more than 3,000 shanties to the Lake Winnebago system, hauling in 1,029 sturgeon.
After a sunny Valentine’s Day weekend full of sturgeon excitement, the Upriver Lakes have already met the 90% trigger on their harvest caps, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. That season will close at the end of the day Monday, but spearers with Lake Winnebago tags can still test their luck on Lake Winnebago.
Saturday’s opening day was full of promise, with temperate weather, clear pockets of water and adequate ice. Lake Winnebago spearers brought in 479 sturgeon, breaking down to 53 juvenile females, 239 adult females and 187 males.
The Upriver Lakes’ day one harvest of 175 sturgeon breaks down to 24 juvenile females, 49 adult females and 102 males. By the end of the day, the lakes were only 17 females away from hitting the 90% trigger.
The Stockbridge registration station led the way in processing the most sturgeon this weekend, with 148 sturgeon passing through on Saturday and another 87 on Sunday.
Sunday slowed down the action slightly, but still brought in a total of 375 sturgeon.
The 300 from Lake Winnebago included 43 juvenile females, 132 adult females and 125 males. Another 75 from the Upriver Lakes included 10 juvenile females, 19 adult females and 46 males.
Among the harvested sturgeon, 31 this weekend weighed in at more than 100 pounds. The heaviest catch so far is a 148.9-pound F4 female Christopher Inda speared on one of the Upriver Lakes Saturday. It also measured 75.4 inches.
The largest catch from Sunday was Jamie Wilson’s 125-pound, 72.2-inch F4 female from around Neenah.
Lake Winnebago is more than halfway to its nearest harvest cap
While the Upriver Lakes are closing after their third day, Lake Winnebago spearers have until March 1 unless any of the lake or system caps are met.
The closest cap is adult females: with 371 out of the allotted 659 sturgeon speared, Lake Winnebago is already at 56% of the cap.
The systemwide caps are 350 juvenile females, 732 adult females and 1,226 males. The combined harvest on all lakes so far adds up to 60% of the adult female harvest cap.
The last time a season ended early on Lake Winnebago was in 2015, when spearing met the caps after seven of the 16 days.
Check the local fishing clubs for up-to-date conditions
Each year, the DNR and local fishing clubs stress that the ice is never 100% safe.
Fishing club volunteers plow roads on the ice, bridge cracks, place tree lines, and report on changing conditions and new hazards.
Fond du Lac and Van Dyne-area fishing clubs include Pipe Fishing Club, Foot of the Lake Fishing Club, Friendship Fishing Club, Fisherman’s Road Fishing Club and West Shore Fishing Club. Oshkosh has Otter Street Fishing Club, then Payne’s Point Hook and Spear Fishing Club in Neenah.
East and northeast shore clubs include Stockbridge Harbor Fishing Club, Lower Cliff Fishing Club, Quinney Fishing Club and Brothertown Fishing Club.
The major club for the Upriver Lakes is Lake Poygan Sportsmen’s Club.
Additionally, Don Herman posts ice conditions, concerns and the latest recoveries on the Facebook page for SUNK? Dive and Ice Service, his business that pulls sunken vehicles out of the ice.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearing opens with 1,029 caught
Reporting by Daphne Lemke, Fond du Lac Reporter / Fond du Lac Reporter
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