Wisconsin Mixed Bag: Five ‘fish’ meetings remain in DNR’s winter fish management informational sessions

Madison — Five sessions remain in the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) winter series of informational fisheries meetings across northern Wisconsin. All meetings run 6-8 p.m., with some sessions offered “in-person” or virtually via Microsoft Teams.

• Green Bay walleye management, Feb. 2, Green Bay DNR service center, 2984 Shawano Avenue, Green Bay;

• Marinette County and Oconto County trout habitat and population trends, Feb. 3, Green Bay DNR service center;

• Thirty-Five years of fisheries management in ceded territory with Lawrence Eslinger and Gene Hatzenbeler, DNR fish biologists, Mark Luehring, GLIFWC inland fisheries section leader, and Aaron Shultz, GLIFWC climate change inland fisheries biologist, Feb. 12, Rhinelander and Spooner DNR offices;

• One hundred years of the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage fishery, with Zach Lawson, DNR fish biologist, Feb. 19, virtual only;

• Overview of northwest Wisconsin walleye management, with four DNR fish biologists, Feb. 26, virtual only presentation.

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Conservationist Of The Year Nominees Sought

Woodruff, Wis. — It is that time of year again to nominate this year’s Wisconsin Outdoor News Conservationist of the Year. Nominations will be accepted through the end of February.

Nominees should be someone who has made his or her mark in conservation circles, whether through volunteering, mentoring, or leading hunters, anglers, and trappers. Nominations need not be lengthy, but just a simple note to Wisconsin Outdoor News explaining in a few words how the nominee is deserving.

Email nominations to Wisconsin Outdoor News Editor Dean Bortz at dean@outdoornews.com. The winner will be announced in a feature story in a spring issue of the publication.

Winnebago System’s Annual Sturgeon Spearing Season Opens Saturday, Feb. 14

Oshkosh, Wis. — The 2026 Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season will open Saturday, Feb. 14, and will run for 16 days, or until harvest caps are met. This year Lake Winnebago will have caps of 981 for males, 659 for adult females and 280 for juvenile females. On the upriver lakes, the caps are 245 for males, 73 for adult females and 70 for juvenile females.

Overall, the harvest caps are 1,226 for males, 732 for adult females and 350 for juvenile females.

DNR Hiring Seasonal Summer Workforce

Madison —  The DNR is hiring seasonal staff for state parks, forests, trails and recreation areas. A wide range of positions are available that include opportunities in land management, outdoor recreation, and education.

Seasonal staff are responsible for outdoor maintenance, facility maintenance, grounds keeping work and customer service. Limited-term seasonal positions provide experience for a career in natural resources, an opportunity to gain or improve skills and the chance to contribute to an outdoor experience for visitors.

Seasonal work typically starts in the spring and extends to late summer or fall, with flexibility depending upon the candidate’s availability and the property’s needs.

The DNR is looking for park rangers, visitor services associates, natural resources educators, assistant naturalist guides, park technicians, campground attendants and groundskeepers. Apply through Wisc.Jobs and search “Parks.”

DNR Accepting Nominations for Hunter, Archery Education Instructor Awards

Madison — The DNR is accepting nominations for the 2025 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year, Hunter Education Group of the Year and Archery Education Instructor of the Year awards.Hunter and archery education instructors and hunter education groups who have significantly advanced hunter safety are eligible.

“The dedication of our hunter and archery education instructors to ensuring that our students have the highest quality of safety training before heading into the woods is an incredibly valuable tool,” said Renee Thok, DNR hunter education warden.

Nominees might recruit new instructors, recruit new students or hunters, increase the volume of courses taught, or be involved in other community activities related to hunter education.

The nomination form is on the DNR’s volunteer web page; email the form to DNRLESafety@wisconsin.gov by Feb. 15.

DNR Monitoring Marathon Co. Manure Spill

Wausau, Wis. – Late Thursday evening, Jan. 15, the DNR was notified of manure discharging from a livestock site to a tributary to Black Creek in Marathon County. The spill occurred while the farm was transferring manure between waste storage facilities when the transfer system failed. The volume that was released is unknown at this time.