Sturgeon Spearing Season Starts Saturday

WAUTOMA, Wis (WAUH)- Excitement is mounting for the opening of the 2026 Sturgeon Spearing Season that opens Saturday morning on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes.

There is a parade of vehicles towing ice-fishing shacks and a tailgate-like atmosphere prior to the start. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden Bill Hankee says don’t forget to tag your fish before you get it to one of the nine registration stations on the Winnebago System.

Hankee says thousands of people will be out on the ice and not all of them will be trying their hand at bringing up a big fish through the ice. Some he says just want to check out how sturgeon spearing is done or enjoy the success of those lucky enough to get one of the prehistoric fish.

The biggest sturgeon speared last season weighed just over 180 pounds.

Photo credit: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.