Hook and line sturgeon season opens Sept. 7

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds anglers that the 2024 hook and line season for lake sturgeon will take place on certain waters from Sept. 7-30.

All anglers looking to harvest a lake sturgeon must have their general 2024 fishing license and a valid hook and line lake sturgeon tag. Licenses and tags may be purchased online through Go Wild or from DNR license vendors. All license requirements and regulations apply. The waters where sturgeon fishing is allowed include: Chippewa River: West Fork downstream from Moose Lake Dam (Sawyer Co.) and East Fork (Ashland Co.) downstream to the confluence of the Mississippi River (Pepin Co.) including sloughs, bayous, and flowages.

Flambeau River: North Fork from Turtle-Flambeau Dam (Iron Co.) and S Fork (Price Co.) downstream to the confluence with the Chippewa River (Rusk Co.) including sloughs, bayous, and flowages.

Butternut Lake: Price/Ashland County Jump River: From the North and South Forks to the confluence with the Chippewa River (Rusk Co.).

Burnett County: Yellow Lake, Little Yellow Lake, Danbury Flowage, Yellow River: from Yellow Lake downstream to the Danbury Dam.

Wisconsin River: Downstream from the Wisconsin Dells Dam Only one sturgeon with a minimum length measurement of 60 inches may be harvested during the season. Anglers who have harvested a lake sturgeon must validate their tag immediately upon harvesting and before moving it.

All harvested sturgeon must be registered at a designated registration station. That list can be found at https://dnr.wisconsin. gov/sites/default/files/topic/Fishing/SturgeonRegistrationStations2024. pdf. Note that most registration stations are not open 24/7, so if anglers plan on harvesting a 60-plus inch lake sturgeon outside registration station hours, they must be prepared to keep their fish on ice.

A hook-and-line sturgeon tag is not required if an angler plans to release the sturgeon they catch in the open season. The DNR urges anglers to practice responsible catch-and-release when releasing any fish they do not wish to keep. Please note that it is illegal to fish by snagging, foul hooking and attempting to hook fish other than in the mouth.

Some sturgeon may have a tag near their dorsal fin with information about the movement and growth of lake sturgeon. If a tagged sturgeon is caught, submit the following information to the county's fisheries biologist to help the DNR in future management practices. For the Jump River, that biologist would be Jeff Scheirer (715-762-1354 or jeffrey.scheirer@wisconsin. gov). Where the fish was caught (county, waterbody and location); the date of the catch; the tag number, color and material composition of the tag (i.e., metal or plastic) and the overall fish length. Leave the tag attached to the fish if you release it.