Sturgeon Spearing Season ends Upriver; strong start on Winnebago

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)—The weekend was so good for sturgeon spearers that the Upriver Lakes reached the 90% trigger on its cap and closed its 2026 Sturgeon Spearing Season at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports 375 sturgeon harvested on opening weekend.

Upriver Results

The Upriver Lakes include Lake Winnebago System lakes Poygan, Winneconne, and Butte des Morts.

The weekend results in the Upriver Lakes saw 34 juvenile females, 68 adult female and 148 male sturgeon harvested. The harvest cap for adult females in the Upriver Lakes is 73. The Upriver Lakes harvest caps triggered on Sunday for adult females. 

The season closed in the Upriver Lakes on Monday at 1 p.m., making it a three-day season. The DNR said the last time a three-day season occurred was in 2014.

On Monday, an additional 5 juvenile females, 8 adult females, and 16 male sturgeon were harvested in the Upriver Lakes. Bringing the season total to 39 juvenile females, 76 adult females, and 164 male sturgeon.

In the DNR’s “Daily Report” for Monday, it included the story of Kole Gilman, whose grandfather was selected for an Upriver tag. He couldn’t use it, so he transferred it to Gilman, who snagged a sturgeon on the last day of the season.

Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Results

On Lake Winnebago, the season will last just a bit longer. Over the weekend, 96 juvenile females, 371 adult females, and 312 males were harvested. The seasonal caps are 280 juvenile females, 659 adult females, and 981 males. 

On Lake Winnebago on Monday, another 26 juvenile females, 107 adult females, and 69 male sturgeon were harvested. 

The current totals for the entire Winnebago system are 161 juvenile females, 554 adult females, and 545 males for a total of 1,260 lake sturgeon. 

The season on Lake Winnebago will continue until a sex-specific harvest cap is reached.

The DNR credits water clarity with the success.