Hayley Herzig and her 180 pound sturgeon
Wisconsin’s sturgeon spearing season has gotten off to a bit of a slow start.
The spearing season on the Winnebago System began on Saturday morning (February 8th) and, as of this morning, anglers have reached just 20 percent of the predetermined harvest caps.
On Lake Winnebago, the number of fish caught is sitting at 218 total sturgeon harvested.
This number includes juvenile females, adult females, and male sturgeon.
Despite those woes, spearers on the Winnebago Upriver lakes system have fared better and are just 60 sturgeon away from reaching their separate harvest caps.
Numerous factors, including poor water quality, higher-than-usual temperatures, and less-than-ideal ice conditions, have played a role in the slow start to the sturgeon season.
However, the slow season has not been without some highlights.
On the season’s opening day, an angler named Hayley Herzig caught an impressive 180-pound 79-inch female sturgeon on Lake Winnebago.
This historic catch has been documented as the fourth-largest fish ever caught on the entire Winnebago System.
With the ever-changing weather and ice conditions, the DNR and area law enforcement agencies urge anglers to stay up to date with fishing clubs that provide daily updates on ice conditions.
