SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The sturgeon spawning season continues in the area, as the prehistoric fish have made their way to the farthest point up the Wolf River they can go, the dam at Sturgeon Park in Shawano.
The site is open after coronavirus concerns closed the park last year.
With a light rain, and temperatures in the forties, people lined the sidewalk at Sturgeon Park in Shawano Monday morning. Tom Jagodzinski is visiting the park for the very first time.
“I had a hearing aid appointment, and I heard that the fish were here, and they weren’t going to be here very long. So I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone, as long as I was coming to Shawano.”
Crystal Lepscier tells FOX 11 the sturgeon run on the Wolf River is significant, and celebrated.
“I think it’s great to see them. I was telling my kids that the dam wasn’t always there. They used to be able to swim home. Myself and my children are actually Menominee. So they’re enrolled members of the tribe, and so the sturgeon are very important to the community.”
The community missed the run at the park last year, because COVID-19 concerns were just getting going.
“At that point, there were a lot of unknowns, and honestly, we knew that sturgeon spawning would bring several hundred people and so for safety, they didn’t decide to do that. This year, it’s back fully open. The park is open and looking better than ever,” said Matt Hendricks, Shawano Parks and Recreation Director.
Hendricks tells FOX 11 people need to see the sturgeon sooner than later, because the season may not last.
“Usually they move up the river, and now with the recent rain, the water temperature dropping, we’re really starting to see a significant decline.”
Tom Jagodzinski agrees. He says better weather would help.
“I wish the sun was out, because then, you’d get a better view of them in the water,” he said.
The season is expected to wrap up in the coming days.
According to the Department of Natural Resources the sturgeon sometimes make a second spawning run, but that is typically slower, and milder than the first.
