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Wolf River sturgeon draws big crowds

Fish make annual spawning run

By Greg Seubert


How did Mason Fischer celebrate his fifth birthday?

Hanging out with a bunch of sturgeon.

Fischer and his dad, Shawn, sat along the Wolf River outside of Shiocton May 1 as several large lake sturgeon thrashed in the river’s stained waters. The Menasha father and son were two of more than 200 people that showed up at Bamboo Bend, a popular viewing area to watch sturgeon spawn in the river.

Longtime friends Russ Schroeder and Ron Gedemer were also there as volunteers with the state Department of Natural Resources’ Sturgeon Guard program, which monitors sturgeon at their spawning sites on the Wolf, protect them from poaching and help educate the public about the prehistoric fish.

Sturgeon make their way each spring from Lake Winnebago, through lakes Buttes des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan, and up the Wolf to spawn.

“This is my second year doing this,” Schroeder said. “I do it for the fish and I enjoy it. If you just look at the fish, it’s an amazing sight.”

Shawn Fischer agreed. This is the third year he has brought Mason with him to see the fish, some of them more than 6 feet long.

“It’s a special resource,” said Fischer, who lives on Lake Winnebago.

A large crowd showed up along the Wolf River just west of Shiocton May 1 to watch lake sturgeon along the shoreline. Hundreds of the prehistoric fish headed upstream out of Lake Winnebago on their annual spawning run. Besides Bamboo Bend, other popular viewing locations include the Wolf River Sturgeon Trail near New London and a dam in Shawano. Greg Seubert Photo

Schroeder and Gedemer grew up in Racine. Schroeder now lives on the Pike Lake Chain, between Park Falls and Minocqua, while Gedemer lives in the Weyauwega area, about 20 miles from Shiocton.

The pair also volunteered as Sturgeon Guards at Bamboo Bend last year.

Spawning sturgeon are oblivious to nearby human activity and are susceptible to illegal harvest and unintentional harassment from overly enthusiastic spectators.

The late start of this year’s spawning run can be blamed on a mid-April snowstorm that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in northeastern Wisconsin.

Last year’s run got underway around April 15, but this year’s didn’t kick off until April 28. The run can last for two or more days, depending on the weather.

“We thought last year that there may have been somewhere around 1,300 or 1,500 people, just an amazing amount,” Schroeder said. “Thirty, 35 years ago, the fish were in trouble. It’s my understanding that a group of people and the DNR came together and said, ‘We need to take care of these fish.’ They started the Guard and started putting riprap in for spawning. Today, you have fish all over.”

Sturgeon Guards are trained to report any suspicious behavior.

“We have not seen anything that we had to call in and report,” Schroeder said. “We don’t get involved in anything that might be confrontational. Occasionally, a kid may try to throw a rock or something and we remind them that it’s preferred that you don’t bother the fish.”

Along with Bamboo Bend, other popular viewing areas are the Wolf River Sturgeon Trail near New London and a dam on the Wolf River in Shawano.

Schroeder said the spawning run is unique.

“You should put it on your bucket list,” he said. “It’s just a neat thing to see.”

 

 

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