State Sturgeon Season Going Well

Thursday, February 25th, 2021 -- 8:03 AM

(WBAY) State wildlife officials say water clarity is still clear on average around Lake Winnebago, however it could take a hit due to warmer weather and possible runoff later this week.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, 40 sturgeon were speared Wednesday, the 12th day of the sturgeon spearing season on Lake Winnebago.  Out of the 40 fish harvested Wednesday, 28 were registered on the west shore of the lake, according to the DNR.

In addition, state officials say eight of the 40 were juvenile females, 17 were adult females and 15 were males.  None of the fish harvested Wednesday weighed 100 pounds or more.

As of Wednesday, the DNR says 1,297 fish have been speared this season on Winnebago, with a total of 1,641 throughout the entire Winnebago System.

Spearers tell the DNR the lake snowpack is maintaining, however some of the landings and access points are starting to turn into slush.  Anyone still going out onto the lake is urged to reach out to local fishing clubs around the lake for ice condition updates.

The largest fish harvested Wednesday weighed in at 98.6 pounds, and was 72.5 inches long, according to the DNR. The fish was brought in by Jakob Jaeger.  In addition, the DNR says only 15 male lake sturgeon weighing more than 100 pounds have been harvested during the 2021 spearing season.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.