Feb. 23, 2024 Harvest Update

To the delight of spearers, today was another that felt more like winter than spring. Alas, even with the cooler temperatures, there were very few fish registered today.

On Lake Winnebago, only 6 fish were harvested (2 juvenile females, 2 adult females and 2 males). All of the harvest and spearer effort continued to be concentrated around the southern portion of the lake with 2 fish registered at the Pipe registration stations and 4 registered at the Southwest Winnebago station.

Once again, very few spearers ventured out onto the the Upriver Lakes today, and no fish were harvested.

As we head into the final weekend in the 2024 Winnebago Sturgeon spearing season, the current harvest total stands at 394 fish for the entire system, including 65 juvenile females, 127 adult females and 202 males.

View the full details in today’s harvest report.

Due to the uncertainty created by unseasonably warm weather we experienced this year, many of the spearing shanties were left at home. Not to be deterred, spearers got creative in their efforts to safely get onto the ice, often doing so with less weight that usual. Many spearers resorted to using lighter pop-up shelters and workout mats to keep things dark within their shelters. Some spearers even purchased hand saws for cutting into the ice, forgoing the heavy chainsaws they’d typically use. This “new” approach reminded many of the more seasoned spearers of the days when hand saws were the only saws around!

As always, we want to remind all spearers to be safe when venturing out onto the ice for these last two days of the 2024 season.

For those heading out this weekend, the Poygan, Neenah, Stockbridge and Quinney registration stations will remain closed tomorrow. All other stations will remain open.

We will continue to include registration station updates in our daily emails, or you can check the DNR Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing webpage for updates.

A Note From The DNR On The USFWS Species Status Assessment And Potential Listing For Lake Sturgeon

In 2018, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to assess the status of lake sturgeon populations across their native range within the United States.

Since then, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been actively involved with the federal process of the Species Status Assessment for lake sturgeon. A Species Status Assessment is an analysis of the best available scientific and commercial data on the historic, current and likely future status of a species currently under consideration for possible addition to the U.S. list of threatened and endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The DNR is taking every opportunity to provide information to the USFWS through the Species Status Assessment process and other processes to inform them of our unique sturgeon populations across Wisconsin. For example, the DNR submitted extensive information and data regarding the status of lake sturgeon populations across Wisconsin to be used by the USFWS in drafting the Species Status Assessment.

An initial draft of the Species Status Assessment was provided to states and other entities in July 2023 for “technical review.” DNR Fisheries staff reviewed the draft over the summer and provided the USWFS with over 150 comments, the most submitted by any state agency. As part of this feedback, the DNR requested that the USFWS indicate how the DNR’s comments would be addressed in future drafts of the Species Status Assessment. The USFWS has committed to providing this accounting and agreed to a meeting with the DNR once the comments are addressed. Although this meeting has not occurred to date, the USFWS has reaffirmed its commitment to doing so.

The USFWS has a court-ordered deadline by which they must publish the Species Status Assessment and issue a proposed decision on any changes to the lake sturgeon’s Endangered Species Act listing status by June 30, 2024.

Following the initial decision, there will be a 60-day public comment period wherein anyone may offer their input to the USFWS on their proposed decision.

For more information, check out the USFWS’s Lake Sturgeon species webpage. Additionally, you can read the initial petition and provide public comment once the public comment period opens on Regulations.gov.

No Ice Is 100% Safe

Here are a few basic ice safety tips to remember:

• Carry a cell phone, and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
• Wear proper clothing and equipment, including a life jacket or a float coat, to help you stay afloat and to help maintain body heat.
• Wear ice creepers attached to boots to prevent slipping on clear ice.
• Carry a spud bar to check the ice while walking to new areas.
• Carry a few spikes and a length of light rope in an easily accessible pocket to help pull yourself – or others – out of the ice.
• If you fall in, remain as calm as possible. While attempting to get out of the water, call for help. Anyone who attempts to rescue you should use a rope or something similar to avoid falling through themselves.
• Do not travel in unfamiliar areas or at night.

Have a plan in place noting where you will be and when you plan to return. Along with leaving a written note of your plans, keeping a charged cell phone is also recommended.

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.