Day 14 Sturgeon Report

DNR Sturgeon Biologist Ryan Koenigs writes:

The 2017 sturgeon spearing season on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes may not officially close until Sunday, but Mother Nature made a strong case otherwise today.  Today’s winds have broken up Lake Winnebago and reports are that the ice sheet has pulled away from the north and east shores.  I believe it given the ice shoves that are building along the west shore.  We took a ride to Menominee Park in Oshkosh today to take a look and the shoves are pretty impressive.  I’ve included a few photos from today’s observation.  I’ve also heard reports that most of the ice is already out on Lake Butte des Morts and Lake Winneconne, but I haven’t heard much from Lake Poygan. 

Today marks the second consecutive day that 0 sturgeon were harvested on the Winnebago System.  I don’t anticipate that we will see any over the weekend, but I guess you never know.  We have already started entering harvest data from this season and cleaning up many of our registration stations, so I should be able to have the season summaries out by early-mid next week.  That’s kind of a blessing, because I don’t think it will be long until our crews will start our netting surveys from northern pike, yellow perch, and walleye.