Wisconsin’s Sturgeon Spawning Spectacle Has Started – How To Watch

The Wisconsin DNR just alerted the public to a springtime spectacle of prehistoric proportions.

The early stages of the sturgeon spawn are now underway, and the wildlife experts with the Wisconsin DNR are letting the public know how they can watch these massive, ancient creatures.

The opportunities are available in a good handful of places in person, as well as via a couple of live-stream webcams where you can watch the action from anywhere.

If you're new to the spring sturgeon frenzy, yes, people do indeed get excited about the opportunity to see these huge fish up close during their springtime ritual. It usually happens sometime in mid-April and into early May, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

Where can people view sturgeon in Wisconsin during their spring spawn?

The best places are in some of the rivers in Eastern Wisconsin, where the sturgeon swim upstream for their springtime spawn.

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Viewing places highlighted by the Wisconsin DNR includes areas like along the Wolf River at the Shawano Dam in Shawano, the Wolf River Sturgeon Trail near New London, and a handful of places along the Peshtigo and Fox Rivers.

The City of New London, WI, highlights viewing details and a trail along the river as part of their tourism website if you are looking to see the sturgeon in person.

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You can see several specific viewing locations, trails, and even some updates on what's been observed via the Wisconsin DNR's sturgeon spawning website.

How can I watch the Wisconsin sturgeon spawn live online?

If you want to see these large creatures from anywhere, the City of Shawno has you covered.

They have a pair of webcam video streams on the city's website. One of the live video feeds is an above-water view of the river, while the other is a submerged camera that gives you an up-close view from underwater, like the image seen above, captured on Monday night (April 28).

You can see a sturgeon's tail as it swims by. This image was captured around 9:30 pm, so you can see that the camera is set up to be looked at 24/7 - even when it is dark out.

If you're looking to see the sturgeon either in person or via the webcam, time is limited. The spawning season doesn't last too long, so take advantage of the opportunity while it's here!