Sturgeon season opens with strong harvest across Lake Winnebago system

MADISON, Wis. - The opening weekend of the spearing season delivered big numbers and family moments across the Lake Winnebago system, with warm weather, clear water and steady harvests pushing managers toward key limits.

What we know:

A Valentine’s Day flyover counted 3,019 shanties spread across the lake. Spearers brought in 479 sturgeon on Winnebago, including 53 juvenile females, 239 adult females and 187 males. The total put the lake at roughly 36% of its adult female cap, with much of the success coming from the east side and the Stockbridge station leading the way.

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Activity was also strong on the Upriver Lakes. Crews registered 175 fish that day, moving the system to within 17 adult females of the closure trigger and prompting warnings that the Upriver season could end quickly.

Families filled the ice and registration lines, turning the opener into a gathering place for traditions old and new.

Jay Plonsky and Jeff Wagner continued an annual outing that now includes Plonsky’s daughters, Scarlett and Devin, who helped haul a sturgeon from the hole after the strike.

Thirteen-year-old Abigail Derksen marked her second season with her second fish, a 53.6-inch, 34-pound male.

Seventeen fish weighing more than 100 pounds were recorded on opening day. The largest was a 148.9-pound, 75.4-inch female taken Upriver by Christopher Inda.

Day two brought slightly smaller numbers but kept the momentum going.

Systemwide, 375 sturgeon were registered. On Winnebago, spearers harvested 300 — 43 juvenile females, 132 adult females and 125 males — pushing the weekend total there to 779 fish, or 56% of the adult female cap.

Stockbridge again posted the highest count with 87 fish Sunday, raising its running total to 235.

Upriver crews added 75 more fish, including 19 adult females. That was enough to hit the 90% benchmark, meaning spearers with Upriver tags can continue only until 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, when the season will close.

Winnebago tag holders may keep spearing until sex-specific caps are met.

Local perspective:

The weekend also produced another round of milestone memories.

First-timer Hoyt Patt got on the board alongside his father, who said it took him 15 years before he landed his own first sturgeon.

Biologists note the feat is rare. In a typical year, about 8% of tag holders successfully harvest a fish, with clarity, food and timing all factors — plus luck.

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Fourteen of Sunday’s fish topped 100 pounds. The largest was a 125-pound, 72.2-inch female speared by Jamie Wilson and registered in Neenah.

With mild temperatures expected to continue, officials are reminding participants to check with local clubs about access points, especially when heading out or retrieving shanties.