OSHKOSH, Wis — We're just nine-days away from sturgeon spearing season but Lake Winnebago is still far from being safe, for any type of truck traffic on the lake.
Within the bays of Lake Winnebago is where today, you'll find the most anglers. But some, who are brave enough to venture out towards the middle of the lake, are beginning to make the trek on foot.
"We haven't put any bridges out yet but we might be in the next few days. We're checking out this area here where we only have about five to six inches," says Don Herman of the Otter Street Fishing Club.
Herman says in Oshkosh, near the Merritt Avenue boat launch access, there is only about four to six inches of ice. A number that is hard to believe considering most years at this time Herman is used to recording nearly 20 inches.
"It's a really funky year. I don't know what's going to happen," says Herman.
On an optimistic note, Herman does say that Lake Winnebago has finally frozen over completely. But he says on the west end of the lake and the southern end, the ice is so thin that he doubts cars and trucks will be able to make the journey onto the lake, at least for the first week or so of sturgeon spearing.
“They sold about 13-thousand licenses and I am thinking about 3-thousand people are probably not going to come out,” says Herman.
In Harrison though near fire lane eight, Herman says the ice is nearly 10-12 inches thick. Which Herman says is an ice thickness that is nearly ready for vehicles to potentially travel on. But as of right now, Herman says one of the few places you’ll be able to spear, with the comfort of bringing your truck with you on the ice, is Lake Poygan.
Mike Schultz of Oshkosh has been fishing Lake Poygan his whole life. He says anglers started coming out for the ice fishing season just after deer hunting opener, and fishermen have been showing up ever sense.
“It’s been slow but there is days when you’ll catch Walleye and White Bass and you’ll catch a lot of them.”
Schultz says people have been driving their trucks on Lake Poygan for three to four weeks now. Which he believes many will appreciate that much more, when they have the opportunity to spear on the lake in less than a week, with their trucks by their side.
"They feel lucky they got a tag for Poygan and it's the year to have one," says Schultz.
This year the DNR issued just about 470 sturgeon tags for the upriver lakes spearing season. Tags that will allow those fishermen on Lakes like Lake Poygan an opportunity to actually drive out onto the ice, with all of their spearing gear in tow.
“80-percent of the tags are filled in three to four days normally so,” says Schultz.
And as over 12-thousand spearers prepare for the season that is just 9 days away, it's becoming a reality that less than 500 of them will likely be fortunate enough to bring their trucks, along for the adventure.
The Otter Street Fishing Club says at this point sturgeon spearers on Lake Winnebago will likely be forced to find their spots on the lake with ATV’s or snowmobiles. They encourage all anglers to check in with one of the ten fishing clubs on Lake Winnebago for the latest updates on ice conditions.
