Sturgeon spearing season fizzles out at end but exceeds 2016
Posted: Feb 27, 2017 6:20 AM CDT | Updated: Feb 27, 2017 12:05 PM CDT
APPLETON, Wis. (AP) — The sturgeon spearing season on Lake Winnebago fizzled out at the end.
The 16-day season ended Sunday on the fourth straight day without the harvest of a single fish on Lake Winnebago or on the upriver lakes of Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan. And in the past week, only 10 sturgeon were registered.
The Post-Crescent of Appleton reports that the second half of the season was hampered by a stretch of unseasonably warm weather that caused ice conditions to deteriorate rapidly, so few spearers ventured out.
The season as a whole was fairly successful. Spearers harvested 847 sturgeon this year. That includes 552 from Lake Winnebago and 295 from the upriver lakes. That exceeds the 703 sturgeon taken last year.