Feb. 9, 2025 Harvest Update

Reports from spearers indicate that Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes are experiencing a shift in water clarity. Areas with clear water yesterday were murkier today, even with the sun shining through the ice.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, spearers overcame the adversity and were successful. Today, 121 lake sturgeon were speared throughout the system, including 25 juvenile females, 34 adult females and 62 males. 

There were 3,340 shanties counted on Lake Winnebago this weekend. Most of the shanties were located off the west central portion of Lake Winnebago near the Oshkosh area. This observation is reflected in the number of fish registered at the Downtown Oshkosh and Neenah registration stations, with 19 each. These stations continue to register the highest number of harvests for Lake Winnebago.

The Southwest Winnebago registration station continues to have the most fish weighing over 100 pounds, with five for the season thus far. A total of 74 lake sturgeon were harvested on Lake Winnebago, with 30 males, 30 adult females and 14 juvenile females. Based on reports, finding those clear pockets of water is a spearer’s best bet at success. 

Access issues continue to plague the Upriver lakes, with lower-than-normal harvest for an opening weekend. Still, that doesn’t mean all spearers had issues. A total of 47 sturgeon were speared on the Upriver Lakes today, with 32 males, 4 adult females and 11 juvenile females. This brings the total fish harvested in the Upriver Lakes thus far this season to 97 males, 17 adult females and 20 juvenile females. 

View the full details in today’s harvest report.

It is still always a good day when the traditions of spearing are passed from generation to generation. Today, 12-year-old Kolby Worth successfully speared their first fish on the Upriver Lakes with a 21.1 lbs., 47.5 inch male lake sturgeon. 16-year-old Jake Reitzke also speared his first fish today on Lake Winnebago, an 81.2-pound, 63.3-inch fish. Congratulations to you both – we hope to see you successfully registering fish for years to come.

Lake Winnebago continues to prove that there are a significant number of large fish in this system.  After the large fish yesterday, another large individual came in today. Joseph Miller successfully speared a 161.9-pound, 81.9-inch female lake sturgeon. The most surprising thing is that this fish wasn’t even an F4 female full of eggs. This fish was still about a year away from spawning and could have likely weighed an additional 40-50 pounds next year. Fish like this remarkable specimen are a testament to how healthy this ecosystem is to support a fish this size.

Overall, it was a good opening weekend, with a good number of fish coming in. With the new snow, we are hopeful that we will see better water clarity this week. Congrats to all who were successful over the weekend, and good luck to those who are continuing to take to the ice this week.

Traditions continue to be passed down with 12-year-old Kolby Worth spearing their first lake sturgeon, a respectable 21.1-pound, 47.5-inch, M1 male.

No Ice Is 100% Safe

If using UTVs on the ice, here are a few basic safety tips to remember:

• Remember UTVs are heavy. They are the heaviest recreational vehicle out on the ice, often being close to 3,000 pounds. This is similar to a car or truck.
• Have a plan in case you do go through the ice.
• Roll your window down when traveling on the ice and make sure you can easily open your door – drive slow and turn the radio down so that you can use eyes and ears to watch and hear for potential issues coming up.
• Make sure you have life jackets or some other type of floatation for every occupant of the UTV.
• Recovery for the UTV or other vehicle is the responsibility of the owner/operator. After 30 days, the owner can be fined each day after 30 days.
• Recovery rates for the machine can also be very expensive.
• This may not be the year to explore new locations – stick to known areas that typically have better ice conditions.
• Never consume alcohol or drugs before or during your ride.
• Carry a cell phone, and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
• Watch for pressure ridges or ice buckling. These can be dangerous due to thin ice and open water.

Remember – the DNR does not monitor ice conditions. Local fishing clubs, outfitters and bait shops are the best sources for local current ice conditions.  

Check out the DNR’s Ice Safety webpage for more information on staying safe on the ice, including tips for creating ice claws and what to do if you fall through ice.

Additional information on the Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season can be found on the DNR website.