Sturgeon Spawning Is Underway

The yearly spawn of sturgeon up the wolf and fox rivers has begun, drawing crowds of people to the rivers banks to watch the huge, prehistoric fish swim by.

The fish wait for a specific water temperature to tell them it’s time to spawn. That temperature varies depending on water levels on the rivers, but it usually happens from mid April to mid May.

During seasons when water flow is high and water temperatures rise slowly, spawning begins when the water temperature reaches 53 degrees. In contrast, during seasons of low water flow and more rapid water temperature rise, spawning doesn’t begin until water temperatures reach 58-59 degrees.

At that point, the females travel upstream to lay their eggs on the sides of rocks or in the gravel along the beds of the rivers. The males, who also travel upstream, will then release sperm that will fertilize the eggs.

The DNR says sturgeon have been seen on the fox river near the Princeton Dam and on the Wolf River and at the Sturgeon Trail, near New London and Bamboo Bend, near Shiocton.

Other areas popular for viewing such as the Shawano Dam, on the Wolf River, and the De Pere Dam on the Lower Fox River had No activity to report this weekend.

You can find daily spawning updates on the Winnebago system sturgeon spawning page.

DNR officials ask if you go to view the fish, to keep a distance and not to reach in to touch or grab them.