FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 23, 2024
Contact: Office Of Communications 
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Purchase Your Sturgeon Spearing License By Oct. 31

Spearers must buy a license by Oct. 31 if they wish to harvest a sturgeon from Lake Winnebago during the 2025 sturgeon spearing season. / Photo Credit: Emily Ingbretson

OSHKOSH, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds all spearers interested in harvesting a lake sturgeon from Lake Winnebago during the 2025 sturgeon spearing season to buy their license by Oct. 31, 2024.

There are an unlimited number of licenses available for Lake Winnebago, and residents and nonresidents can purchase a license through the Go Wild system or at any license sales location. All license holders must be at least 12 years old.

Military personnel home on leave during the spearing season and youth who will turn 12 between Nov. 1, 2024, and the last day of the 2025 spearing season do not need to purchase their license by the Oct. 31 deadline.

The Upriver Lakes fishery (lakes Poygan, Butte des Morts and Winneconne) is managed by a preference point system and lottery that is limited to 500 permitted spearers. Successful Upriver Lakes tag applicants have already been notified for the 2025 season and have until the start of the spearing season to purchase a license. However, successful applicants cannot also purchase a tag for Lake Winnebago. 

License sales help fund a variety of sturgeon management activities on the Winnebago system.

The 2025 sturgeon spearing season opens on Feb. 8, 2025, and will run for a maximum of 16 days or until any of the predetermined harvest caps are met.

For more information, visit the DNR’s Sturgeon Spearing webpage.