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The WPS "Fish Cam"

Our Environmental Principles come to life as we care for wildlife and natural habitat near the WPS hydroelectric dams. You can find several species of fish in these areas.

April 2010
White Suckers & Walleye

We captured these white suckers and walleyes on our fish cam at the Peshtigo Dam, in the city of Peshtigo in Marinette County, Wisconsin.

The fish swim upstream from the bay of Green Bay each spring to spawn — ensuring the future of their species. After spawning, they swim back to the bay for the rest of the year.

WPS partners with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to provide refuge for fish during critical times like spawning. The WDNR puts up signs that close fishing just below the dam and down the river. WPS provides a spectacular viewing area to watch the fish.

May 2010
Lake Sturgeon

The Lake Sturgeon is a giant, living fossil — a relic from the Middle Ages of fish evolution. This ancient species first appeared about 100 million years ago! That's around the time the dinosaurs became extinct. Today, Lake Sturgeon still have many primitive characteristics that have been lost or modified in other modern-day fishes.

The Lake Sturgeon is a freshwater giant, reaching up to 195 pounds and more than 9 feet long. Lake Sturgeon live for a very long time. The oldest documented Lake Sturgeon in Wisconsin was 82 years old.

As seen in this video, Lake Sturgeon migrate to their spawning grounds between mid-April and early May each year. They swim upstream from the bay of Green Bay. Lake Sturgeon are unique because the females spawn every 4 to 6 years, while the males generally spawn every other year. Most other species of fish in Wisconsin spawn every year.

Lake Sturgeon spawn in shallow rocky areas, like the area below the Peshtigo Dam. Large numbers of Lake Sturgeon come to spawn below the dam each year.

WPS & the WDNR: A Partnership

Since 1941, WPS has worked with the WDNR to improve fisheries at the Peshtigo Dam. Originally we focused stocking the area with walleye. Today, our focus is Lake Sturgeon. To ensure the Lake Sturgeon population remains strong, we help the WDNR collect important information from Lake Sturgeon, including length, weight and gender. We also place a tag under the skin of the Lake Sturgeon, so the WDNR can follow the fish as they migrate during the year.

WPS has worked with the WDNR to ensure that the water flows coming out of the Peshtigo Dam are good for Lake Sturgeon during the spawning season.

WPS and the WDNR have also teamed up to create a fish spawning sanctuary, by eliminating fishing directly below the Peshtigo Dam during spawning season. This helps Lake Sturgeon and other fish spawn and ensures more generations of their offspring will be around for years to come. Hundreds of people use this area simply to view the fish as they come up to spawn each year.