Sturgeon spawning 2008, Singler Farms, New London4/21/08
SHIOCTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The water on the Wolf River is calm, but the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says for the next couple of weeks it could be a spectacle for the sturgeon spawning season.
“They’re getting ready, they’re basically ready to party, they’re just waiting for the right conditions, essentially for the music to start,” says Margaret Stadig, the DNR’s Winnebago Sturgeon Biologist.
Hundreds of sturgeon from Lake Winnebago will swim upstream to thrash around in the shallow waters as they spawn.
“It’s an absolutely incredible site to see,” Stadig adds.
She says there are many factors that play into when the sturgeon are ready to spawn.
“Water temperature is a big one, probably one of the biggest factors, we’re kind of waiting for about a 50-degree water temperature, but it’s not just that it’s also how many days have been pretty warm.”
And right now, water temperature is sitting around 52-degrees.
Stadig believes this weekend could be the big show.
“We’ve kind of had a decent bit of that good weather leading up to this weekend, so, with the 70 degrees coming [Saturday] and Sunday, we’re already starting to see some activity,” she says. “We’re seeing fish jump out into the middle of the river, you can also see some of them nosing into the rocks basically looking for friends.”
Each year, the spawning draws major crowds, too.
“This is like a yearly thing, we try to catch it, but yeah, we’ll definitely be out probably in a few days, cause it’s a little early yet,” says Nancy Blank, who came to New London Friday morning to see if the spawn had started.
Although they were a little early, Friday wasn’t a total bust for Nancy and her grandson, Vaughn.
“I saw four and Gramma saw 6!” Vaughn said. “It splashed out of the water like this!” he says with a big hop.
The Sturgeon Guard is back this year, too.
The volunteers monitor the spawning sites to ensure that no illegal activity is taking place, and that those watching are respecting the sturgeon in their natural habitat.
Anyone interested in helping the Sturgeon Guard can visit the DNR website here.
Stadig also reminds those who plan to watch the spawning to bring their polarized sunglasses, as it helps reduces the glare on the water, making it easier to see the fish in the water.
Comments