I submitted a turkey article for the PCJ today but had to put it on the back burner for a subject that has a shorter shelf life. Turkey hunting will be going on for another month or so which makes it easier to preempt. The reason is a good one: sturgeon spawning. Yep, the modern-day dinosaurs have moved up the Wolf River and have arrived at the Shawano Dam to spawn. Recently I just happened to be there to greet them.

The sturgeon that come up the Wolf River system start their journey in Lake Winnebago. I’ve written about the unique spearing season on that lake and those are the exact same fish. For centuries, lake sturgeon have made this migration, traveling around 125 miles every spring to reach the spawning areas below the Shawano Dam. That journey takes from a few days to a week. Actually, the fish used to travel even further prior to the original dam being installed in 1892 to aid the pulp and paper mill.

When I heard that the fish were up, I went from the woods to the water still wearing my knee boots. That was a stroke of luck for me because the water had risen six inches over the sidewalk in Sturgeon Park in Shawano. The boots allowed me to stand on the flooded sidewalk and literally put sturgeon right at my feet. In fact, one even bumped into my boot. I was in awe of these strange and prehistoric fish. It was like eating potato chips in that I stood there for one more and then just one more. When I looked at my watch, I couldn’t believe how much time had raced by. 

For the next hour I stood there on the flooded sidewalk as sturgeon came and went. I can only guess but would say that I saw 30-40 fish. The dozens of pictures that I took were less than ideal because of the sun glare but good enough for you to appreciate my experience. The video footage is actually much better. (The videos are posted online on the OTT Facebook site. That address is posted below). There are other migrations routes and spawning areas, but the Wolf remains the most popular with great viewing opportunities in New London and Shiocton as well as Shawano.  

Towards the end of my time spent at the Park I came up with a pretty accurate way to judge how big the sturgeon were. The sidewalk sections were scored in 6-foot sections and I verified that by stepping it off with my boots.  From there it was easy. Most of the fish were right around 5 feet long with the biggest being right at 6 feet, putting it in the 70-pound range.  

Sturgeon Fun Fact: The biggest sturgeon ever tagged in Shawano County was a female measuring 87.5 inches long (7 feet 3.5 inches) and weighing over 240 pounds. Wisconsin DNR biologists netted the fish on the Wolf River near the Shawano Dam on April 2012, estimating it to be 125 years old.

So why did I preempt the turkey season with this sturgeon spawning news? Because I was there last Friday and the run had just started with the peak to come 7-10 days later. That means it’s happening right now and if you’re remotely close to any of these three viewing locations, I encourage you to check it out. If you want more information or a daily update you can access the Wisconsin DNR website and search Lake Sturgeon Spawning. As I mentioned earlier, there are other migration routes and spawning areas, but the Wolf River remains the most popular. You can find great viewing opportunities in New London, Shiocton and Shawano.  

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook or at  ottwithdavebeck on Instagram for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal