Present. Closed to fishing.

Lake sturgeon

Acipenser fulvescens

Fishing for lake sturgeon is closed on Shawano Lake. Watching the Wolf River run in April is the reason they are on this list.

What the DNR measured

Season on Shawano Lake: Closed. No fishing allowed.
Where to see them: The Wolf River in spring, during the spawning run.

What that means on the water

The DNR lake regulation page for WBIC 322800 lists lake sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon and paddlefish as closed. The Wolf River sturgeon run is a public spectacle in April, and the DNR runs a sturgeon guard program along it.

Where to find it

Walk the Wolf River bank below Shawano in April.
Bamboo Bend in Shiocton is the classic viewing spot downstream.

How to catch it

Bring a camera. Targeting them here is illegal.

Spots on this lake for lake sturgeon

1 of the 10 named areas hold lake sturgeon. Tap a marker for the reason.

Spot	Why it holds them
Wolf River below the dam	The spring run water, and the bank where people gather in April to watch lake sturgeon spawn. Note the closure: from April 15 to May 15 the stretch below the dam is a fish refuge and is off limits.

All 10 spots and the season-by-season pattern

Records and rules

Season on Shawano Lake: Closed on Shawano Lake, all year.
Limit: Closed. No fishing allowed.
Wisconsin state record: 170 lbs 10 oz, 79.0 in
Where the record came from: Yellow Lake, Burnett County, 1979-09-22
Registers as a trophy at: 65 inches, DNR live-release standard

Closed water. Lake sturgeon may not be fished for on Shawano Lake. You may watch the Wolf River spawning run in April, and targeting a sturgeon here is illegal.