A popular spring tradition is coming to a close just days after it started.
Sturgeon spawning usually draws thousands along the Wolf River near New London, Shiocton and Shawano each spring.
“It’s really one of the only places in the world where you can see spawning lake sturgeon that close,” said Aaron O’Connell, a sturgeon habitat biologist with the DNR and UW-Stevens Point.
O’Connell says above average temperatures are the primary reason the fish got an early jump this year.
“It’s almost primarily based on water temperature,” he said. “Typically, the peak of sturgeon spawning behavior is in the 52 to 60 degree Fahrenheit range, which we’re usually seeing in mid-April, late April, even early May.”
Sturgeon spawning can last up to a week on average. This year went for about five days.
The DNR also uses spawning to tag the fish and calculate the sturgeon population.
Click to hear more in the player above.
