2013 sturgeon spearing report released

OSHKOSH - The shanties are off the ice and harvest total is in for the 2013 sturgeon spearing season.

The DNR says spearers harvested 567 fish this season. That’s about the same as last season, but well below the caps.

Spearers on Upriver Lakes had clear water conditions and a very short season, bringing in 261 fish over four days.

• ReportIt photos: Sturgeon spearing 2013

Overall, the DNR says water clarity on Lake Winnebago was poor, which led to a full 16-day season and a below average harvest of 306 fish.

As in recent years the big fish trend continued. 9.5 percent of the Lake Winnebago harvest consisted of fish larger than 100 pounds.

That includes Peter Vander Wielen’s 80”, 179 pound sturgeon which ranks sixth largest since modern sturgeon spear fisheries began in 1932.

• Click here to read the post-season synopsis from DNR fisheries biologist Ryan Koenigs
• Click here to view the successful spearer list
• Click here to view the harvest numbers by registration station, lake area, along with average fish sizes by category
• Click here to view the harvest numbers by successful spearer county/state