The Winnebago System may not have a hook and line sturgeon fishery, but there are numerous waters in the state that do. One of the more heavily targeted fisheries is on Yellow Lake in Burnett County. The current state record (hook and line) lake sturgeon was caught on Yellow lake in 1979; weighing 170 pounds 10 oz and 79” long. Well 13 year old David Jacobson has a “fish tale” of a potential record breaking fish that he recently caught and released from the same waterbody. Unfortunately David’s fish was not weighed on a certified scale and thus cannot be recognized as a potential state record fish.
A Wisconsin fishing license is required to hook and line fish for lake sturgeon in Wisconsin. A harvest tag is not required to practice catch and release, but an inland hook and line sturgeon harvest tag is required if the angler intends to harvest a fish. The tag must be immediately validated and attached to the fish upon harvest, similar to the winter spear fishery on the Winnebago Pool Lakes. Interested anglers should reference their fishing license regulation pamphlet to see where sturgeon fishing seasons exist within Wisconsin waters and what the harvest regulations are on those waters.
The half-hour battle to bring the fish aboard Erik’s 20-foot Ranger included high drama when the sturgeon wrapped David’s line around the anchor chain.
For perspective on the size of this fish, the Wisconsin state record lake sturgeon — also caught in Yellow Lake, in 1979, was 79 inches long. It weighed 170 pounds, 10 ounces. The largest Wisconsin sturgeon taken by spearing was 84.2 inches long and weighed 212 pounds.
