Hayley Herzig and her 180 pound sturgeon
Sturgeon spearers have only until the end of the month to obtain their license for the upcoming season.
The Wisconsin DNR explains that those interested in harvesting a lake sturgeon from Lake Winnebago during the 2026 sturgeon spearing season must have their license purchased by October 31st.
All license holders must be at least 12 years old; however, military personnel home on leave during the spearing season and youth who will turn 12 between November 1st and the last day of the season are exempt from the deadline.
The Upriver Lakes fishery of Lake Poygan, Butte des Morts, and Winneconne has a lottery system that allows sturgeon spearers to collect 500 of the fish before the fishery closes.
The Winnebago Lake sturgeon population remains one of the healthiest in the world.
Requiring spearers to obtain a license helps fund the fishery, enabling them to contribute to managing the system, while also staffing registration stations during the spearing season.
The 2026 season will open on February 14th and will run for a maximum of 16 days or until the harvest cap is met.
