Due to its great abundance here, Winnebago-strain sturgeon are used as an egg source for lake sturgeon re-introduction and rehabilitation projects throughout this species? historical North American range. Lake sturgeon are also harvested from Lake Winnebago during a popular mid-winter spear fishing season that began here in the early 1930's and has been held for more than 70 consecutive years.

The total number of state-licensed spearers here has grown dramatically in recent years as more people seem willing to travel greater distances from around Wisconsin and beyond to annually participate in what has become a unique recreational fishing event. Given the ecological significance of this fish population and the local cultural and economic importance of the spear fishery it sustains, the health status of the Lake Winnebago lake sturgeon population is of interest to fish managers throughout the region.

Dave Wedan from the La Crosse Fishery Resources Office (FRO) and Corey Puzach from the La Crosse Fish Health Center, aided by volunteer Scott Hansen, teamed up with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Personnel to collect fish health samples from lake sturgeon harvested Feb. 14, the opening day of the 2004 spear fishing season, near Oshkosh, Wis. A total of 60 spearers who registered their fish here with the WDNR permitted LFHC and FRO staff to collect fish health samples which were later processed by LFHC in their laboratory in Onalaska. Length, weight, and spawning condition of each registered fish were also taken. Spearers registered a record number of 1,303 sturgeon on opening day. The lake record was also broken on Saturday when a 188 pound lake sturgeon was registered. The season ended Sunday February 15, with a grand total of 1,854 sturgeon taken. Diagnostic tests are now underway on these lake sturgeon samples to determine the overall health of the lake sturgeon fishery on Lake Winnebago. A kidney swab was taken to screen for the bacterial pathogens, Aeromonas salmonicide, Yersinia ruckeri and Edwardsiella ictaluri. A second kidney sample was taken to be later screened for Renibacterium salmoninarum, a causative agent of Bacterial Kidney Disease. Kidney and spleen samples were collected and screened for the viruses Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN), Oncorhynchus Masou Viruses (OMV), and Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHN). Barbel and fin clips were taken and fixed in Davidson's Fixative. Histological methods will be used fort the detection of Irido-like viruses found in sturgeon. All 60 samples from the 2003 spearing season were negative for all of the pathogens and bacteria described above. These pathogens could significantly affect this ancient fish species, along with a wide variety of other fish species in the Lake Winnebago system. Test results are entered into the Service's National Fish Health Survey data base to improve their efforts in protecting, restoring, and managing fish populations across the country. For more information on the services National Wild Fish Health Survey, visit the internet at www.wildfishsurvey.fws.gov.