LAKE WINNEBAGO, WI (WTAQ) – The sturgeon spearing season is off to a hot start. That’s in terms of catches, not temperatures.
Opening weekend for sturgeon spearing saw a lot of success. There were 292 sturgeon registered in the first two days on the upriver lakes. Fisheries Supervisor Tom Meronek says the harvest cap of 88 adult female fish on those lakes is likely to hit very soon.
“We’re not sure we’ll hit the 100% cap, which would close the fishery [Monday]. But it looks very likely that we’ll hit the 90% for the upriver lakes. We are much further away for Lake Winnebago,” Meronek told WTAQ News. “We have a pretty high harvest cap for Lake Winnebago. We’re not even close to hitting any of those caps, and it’s very much looking like it’s going to be a 16-day season.”
The Lake Winnebago harvest caps are 960 males, 787 adult females, 320 juvenile females. The latest update on their website shows approximately 424 total fish speared.
As for tips to stay safe or get that prehistoric catch, Meronek referred potential spearers to any of the fishing clubs who know the lake by heart.
“Spearers have a lot more knowledge than I do, so I think they’re going to know right away how to be successful,” Meronek laughed.
As for the size, Meronek says a few massive fish have come into the registration stations. That includes a 138-pounder on the upriver lakes on opening day.
“141 pound, 75.5 inch female was speared on Lake Winnebago and registered at our Black Wolf station. That’s the biggest fish that I’m aware of [this season],” Meronek said.
The heaviest sturgeon speared on record in the Lake Winnebago system weighed 212.2 pounds, caught by Ronald Grishaber in 2010.
