WISCONSIN (NBC 26) — Sunday marked the final day of the 2021 sturgeon spearing season, which was the highest harvest in Lake Winnebago since 2015.
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said it was a unique year with good water clarity and solid ice throughout the entire season.
The season lasted the entire 16 days, but the DNR said it came close to reaching the 90% triggers. Spearers reported they could see the bottom of the lake in most areas of fishing zones one, two, and three.
The DNR said the final day's harvest looked much like Saturday's with 50 fish harvested on Lake Winnebago. Many spearers had already pulled their shacks for the season, leading to minimal spearers around the lake during the final day.
According to the DNR, the busiest registration Sunday was Blackwolf Landing with 13 fish registered. However, Stockbridge Harbor lead all registration stations this year with recording 303 fish and was closely followed by Harrison Town Hall which registered 290 fish.
Across the system this season 291 juvenile females, 737 adult females, and 803 males were harvested for a total of 1,831 fish, according to the DNR.
Lake Winnebago's harvest accounted for 1,467 fish consisting of 249 juvenile females, 660 adult females, and 558 males. This year was the highest harvest the lake had seen since 2015.
The DNR said overall this season 77 harvested fish weighed over 100 pounds, making up 4.2% of the total system-wide harvest. This year's percentage is similar to 2019 and 2020 harvests. CLICK HERE for full harvest details.
"Congratulations to all of this year's successful spearers," said the DNR. "The anticipation and excitement are already building for the 2022 season!"
