Wisconsin DNR: Purchase your sturgeon spearing license by Oct. 31
180.5-pound lake sturgeon speared by Hayley Herzig weighs in as the fourth largest lake sturgeon ever speared on the Winnebago system. (Courtesy: Wisconsin DNR)
MADISON, Wis. - If you want to spear sturgeon on Lake Winnebago this season, time is running out to get a license.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds spearers interested in harvesting a lake sturgeon from Lake Winnebago for the 2026 sturgeon spearing season to purchase their license before Oct. 31, 2025.
There are an unlimited number of licenses available for Lake Winnebago, and both residents and nonresidents can purchase a license through the Go Wild system or at any licensed sales location.
All license holders must be a minimum of 12 years old. However, military personnel home on leave during the spearing season and youth who will turn 12 between Nov. 1, 2025, and the last day of the 2026 spearing season do not need to purchase their license by the Oct. 31 deadline.
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DNR reminds waterfowl hunters to boat and hunt safely
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds waterfowl hunters to make safety a priority.
Upriver Lakes
What we know:
The Upriver Lakes fishery (lakes Poygan, Butte des Morts, and Winneconne) is managed by a preference point system and lottery that's limited to 500 permitted spearers. Applicants have already been authorized for the 2026 season and have until the start of the spearing season to purchase a license.
Upriver Lakes tag applicants who were approved cannot purchase a tag for Lake Winnebago.
About the Winnebago System
Big picture view:
The DNR says the Lake Winnebago sturgeon population continues to be one of the healthiest populations in the world.
Sturgeon spearing license sales help fund the necessary management activities on the Winnebago System, such as staffing the registration stations during the spearing season and the work during the spawning season to gather data to set the sustainable harvest caps.
The license sales also fund the large acoustic tagging project in the Winnebago System, which tracks lake sturgeon movement throughout the system and helps ensure all sturgeon management decisions are made using the latest science.
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The 2026 sturgeon spearing season will open on Feb. 14, 2026, and will run for a maximum of 16 days or until any of the predetermined harvest caps are met.
Additional season information can be found on the DNR’s Sturgeon Spearing webpage.
The Source: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sent FOX6 a press release.