Day 7 Sturgeon Report

DNR Sturgeon Biologist Ryan Koenigs writes:

Day 7 of the 2017 sturgeon spearing season is in the books with a total harvest of 31 fish (25 from Lake Winnebago and 6 from the Upriver Lakes). As expected, harvest numbers continue to drop as fewer and fewer shacks remain on the lake.  I made a loop around Lake Winnebago stations today picking up donated heads and most shacks have been removed from the lake since I made the same loop last Sunday.  

Although, harvest numbers dropped today, there were some very nice fish harvested including 3 fish larger than 100 pounds. The largest fish in today’s harvest was 142.6 pounds (75.5”) registered at Jerry’s Bar by Jerome Hoelzel (see photo).

By now everyone should be aware of the weather forecast and how that has impacted spearing effort this season. I am aware of a number of fishing clubs that have already removed their tree lines and automobile bridges.  I also know of other clubs that plan to do so in the next 48 hours.  These clubs do a fantastic job of maintaining access points, plowed and marked roads, and bridges to safely navigate cracks.  If you don’t already belong to one of the clubs, consider purchasing a road pass or membership to fund these efforts in future seasons.  Without the dedicated work of members from these local clubs, we would not have near the accessibility to the lake’s resources that we all enjoy.