Every Spring, between mid-April and early May, sturgeon swim upstream to their spawning grounds along the Wolf River shoreline, looking for a place to spawn. It’s one of our favorite things to do in April! The fish are huge, old, and pretty ugly; people often call them dinosaur fish, but it’s sort of a right of passage for Wisconsin kids! Heading out in the spring to see the sturgeon spawning has become a loved family tradition, and we encourage everyone to try to catch a glimpse.
April 14, 2023: The 2023 lake sturgeon spawning run on the Wolf River is officially underway, and it will be a quick one this year! Sturgeon Spawning has begun today, April 14, 2023. This year’s spawning run starts a bit earlier than usual due to warmer temperatures and higher water.
GVK Tip: If you have polarized sunglasses, bring them along! They help with the glare on the water, and you can see the fish better! They don’t have to be fancy glasses; the cheap $5 ones will work too!
When do the sturgeon spawn in Wisconsin?
You can only see the sturgeon at their spawning habitat in Spring for a couple of days when the water temperature reaches 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit here in Northeast Wisconsin. We’re lucky to live near the only place in North America with viewable spawning sites!
Where to see sturgeon spawning?
Spawning occurs on the Wolf, Peshtigo, and Lower Fox Rivers in the Fox Cities. Be warned; the spawning season lasts just a couple of days!
Wolf River Sturgeon Trail, New London
This Wolf River viewing option is located off Highway X just west of New London. The half-mile-long paved trail follows right along the river. You can see it right from the highway. Parking is available on the south side of the river.
There are informational signs, park benches, and picnic tables as well. If you are looking for other things to do in New London, check out Mosquito Hill for a great hike, Kist Kandies and Ice Cream, and lots of fun murals!
Charlie’s Drive-In on Main Street in Hortonville is the perfect spot to stop for a snack or ice cream on the way home!
Bamboo Bend, Shiocton
Located right off County Highway 54, Bamboo Bend in Shiocton is a great spot to see the sturgeon. Make sure to snap a picture with Stanley the Sturgeon, a massive sculpture marking the park.
Shawano Dam, Shawano
Typically Shawano Dam is the last location to see the sturgeon spawning. If you miss them in New London or Shiocton, try catching them here! Because it’s a dam, you won’t see them up close on the rocks like the other spots.
Riverwalk, De Pere
A little harder to spot, but the sturgeon can also be viewed from the pier and platforms throughout the Riverwalk in De Pere when spawning near the De Pere dam. Look for their distinctive long dark bodies and pointed tails!
Watch the live feed from the locations on the Wolf River Cam.
Also, check out the Wisconsin DNR website for maps and updates.
GVK TIP: Pack a picnic or stop by Charlie’s Drive-In on Main Street in Hortonville for a snack or ice cream.
Fun Facts About Sturgeon
- They are old — like ancient! The lake sturgeon is the oldest and largest native fish species in North America’s Great Lakes. While males may live 55 years, females can reach more than 150.
- They can get huge! It’s not unusual to find one six feet long and 200 pounds. In 2012, a female sturgeon caught on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin measured more than seven feet three inches long and weighed 240 pounds.
- Sturgeon are bottom feeders. They swim along the lake or river bottom, searching for food like insects, worms, snails, crayfish, small fish, insect larvae, fish eggs, and other organisms.
- Where are they found? Sturgeon live in the Fox River and Wisconsin’s major river systems, including the Wisconsin, Mississippi, Chippewa, Flambeau, Manitowish, and Menominee Rivers. Lake Winnebago holds the largest single concentration of sturgeon in the world. They can also be found in the Wisconsin River’s northern tip, the Mississippi, lower Wisconsin, Chippewa, Flambeau, Manitowish, and Menominee Rivers. It has been reported that the Wolf River may be the only place in North America to see the sturgeon spawn.
Learn More About Wisconsin Sturgeon
Explore these great resources from the Sea Grant of the University of Wisconsin.
- Activity Sheet with field notes, questions, and vocabulary after watching a video about Dissecting a Lake Surgeon.
- Read the Sturgeon Story Map – People of the Sturgeon Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish By Kathleen Schmitt Kline, Ronald M. Bruch, and Frederick P. Binkowski, with photographs by Bob Rashid. Published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press in 2009.
- Listen to sturgeon
- Learn more about sturgeon and conservation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
- Take a virtual field trip with the Virtual Museum Exhibit at the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts – In collaboration with the Wisconsin Water Library and other partners, the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts hosted an exhibit dedicated to the lake sturgeon. Inspired by the book People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish, the exhibition contained local and international memorabilia, spearfishing equipment, fine art prints, and more.
- National Geographic
- Eek! Environmental Education for Kids in Wisconsin – Sturgeon Feature
Other Places to See Sturgeon Year-Round in Wisconsin
More Fish and Fishing!
- GVK Kids Fishing Guide and Yearly Free Fishing Events
- Free fishing days and events.
- Reader-recommended fishing spots for kids in and around the Fox Valley.
- Fish Spawning at CD “Buzz” Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility
- See steelhead, chinook and coho salmon, and seeforellen brown trout spawning early spring – early winter.
