Slow Start To Opening Day Of ’20 Sturgeon Season

The 2020 Sturgeon Season is underway, and that means it’s time for Sturgeon Updates brought to you by the great folks at Air Tech and Bryant. 

It was about what everyone expected for the Opening Day of the 2020 spearing season went about as expected. With a wide variety of ice conditions throughout Lake Winnebago, Ryan Koenigs, Senior Fisheries Biologist with the DNR, anticipated lower numbers. Add in questionable water clarity, and you get an opening day shanty count of 2,439 which was almost 50% lower than the 2018 season. 

With only 47 fish harvested on Saturday, it was also the lowest opening day total on Lake Winnebago since the 2013 season.  A total of 101 fish were harvested from the Upriver Lakes, which is the lowest opening day harvest since the lottery system was implemented in 2007. Saturday’s harvest reached 30% of the adult female harvest cap. 

The Upriver Lakes season will go well into the upcoming week, or possibly longer.

The largest fish of the day (140.0 pounds, 75.0″) was registered at Critter’s by Vincent Catania. The largest fish from Lake Winnebago was 107.3 pounds, 75.2″ and registered at Jerry’s Bar in Oshkosh by Maxwell Schmidt. Listen for the Sturgeon Updates daily brought to you by Air Tech and Bryant, doing whatever it takes 24/7, with locations in FDL and Ripon.