ATV bridges at West Shore Fishing Club garage, February 14, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
FOND DU LAC COUNTY (WLUK) — Ways to keep those venturing out onto the frozen lakes safer, are in-the-works in Fond du Lac County.
The steel bridges are designed to carry ATVs and UTVs across cracks in the ice.
Even with less than ideal conditions, the Wendt’s on the Lake landing is a popular way to get on and off that part of Lake Winnebago. And inside a maintenance shed nearby, volunteers from the West Shore Fishing Club have been busy building three sets of ATV-UTV bridges.
“These are 24 inches wide, and they’re 28 feet long total. So they can span the cracks that we have out here. They can get pretty substantially wide,” said Steve Klein, West Shore Fishing Club Board Member.
Steve Klein says the West Shore Fishing Club is one of at least 10 volunteer groups around Lake Winnebago that maintains and plows winter ice roads, and monitors conditions on the frozen surface. Klein says recent warm weather is keeping many people away. He says membership is low, and so are donations.
“I would say we’ll be down 75 percent from normal, because of not having the travel,” he said.
“I don’t see any snowmobilers, or I don’t even see any four-wheelers out there,” said Brad Knueppel, Lake Mills.
It’s something Brad Knueppel understands. He says the fishing clubs have an impact.
“They’re out there, doing what they can. And hopefully in the next few years now, we’ll get back to regular ice conditions and things will get back to normal,” said Knueppel.
Back inside the garage, Steve Klein says poor weather conditions will keep the bridges off the ice for this season. The next step is getting to the paint shop.
“Sky blue is what we’re going to go with. And our other ones are orange and red. So try to keep them bright enough, so that people can still see them,” said Klein.
A total of 9 sturgeon were harvested on Lake Winnebago on Wednesday.
An additional 12 were speared on the Upriver Lakes.
Since opening day Saturday, 201 sturgeon have been harvested throughout the Winnebago system.
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