2/16/25 Sturgeon Spearing Report Day 8
16 February 2025 Sports
From the DNR:
On the eighth day of the season and the official halfway point, the Winnebago System woke up to about 3 inches of snow, with more falling throughout the day. Many spearers ended up following snow plows out to the lake. Likely due to the weather, Lake Winnebago only saw 24 lake sturgeon harvested (4 juvenile females, 8 adult females and 12 males). Spearers once again indicated that water clarity around the lake remains fairly poor, with only some pockets of clearer water.
Because the season on the Upriver Lakes has lasted so long, many spearers with an Upriver tag likely didn’t want to deal with the weather Saturday. Only 12 sturgeon were speared Upriver (2 juvenile females, 2 adult females and 8 males). Despite being a Saturday, this is the lowest harvest day on the Upriver Lakes this season.
One of the few successful spearers on the Upriver Lakes was 15-year-old Mason Wamsley-Bohn (pictured). His uncle, who was a Vietnam veteran and has been fighting lung cancer, transferred his tag to Mason so that he could spear with his grandfather. After sitting with his grandfather for 6 years, they finally found success today. Congrats, Mason! We hope you get to bring an incredible fish story back to your uncle. We also want to thank Mason’s uncle for his service, sharing his story and offering the opportunity for Mason to become part of the successful spearer legacy on the Winnebago System.
View the full details in today’s harvest report.
More large lake sturgeon were harvested Saturday, the largest being a 117.9-pound, 71-inch sturgeon speared by Matt Payette on Lake Winnebago. This brings the total number of fish harvested over 100 pounds to 35 for the season.
While sturgeon can grow to enormous lengths, it is a good time to remind people how docile these creatures can be. Because of their biology, they spend most of their time on the bottom of the lake searching for food. Even if a curious one does happen to swim up to the surface, they are not aggressive. They may look intimidating and shark-life, but they don’t possess any teeth. For the larger fish, their mouths are only about the size of your fist. So, if you’re worried about swimming and interacting with these fish on Lake Winnebago during warmer months, please don’t fret. If you see one while on an excursion around the lake, just let them be and enjoy the site.
Please note, due to water clarity, the Pipe registration station will still be closed today. For those registering fish in that area, the Quinney registration station is the next closest station. Please make sure to adjust accordingly. Thank you, and congrats to all our spearers.
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