Ice bridges placed on Lake Winnebago

OSHKOSH — Eight days before the start of Sturgeon spear fishing and activity on the Lake Winnebago system is ramping up.

The ice is thick enough for fishing clubs to install steel bridges out on the lake.

The move is just in time for another fishing event in Oshkosh this weekend.

With a powerful, purposeful push, plows from the Otter Street Fishing Club guided 90-foot long metal bridges into place Friday afternoon.

"Normally, we put the bridges out around the 10th, or 12th of January, so we're a little late this year," said Don Herman, Otter Street Fishing Club.

The club is installing the steel bridges so car and truck traffic can safely drive over cracks in Lake Winnebago, and onto better ice.

"We weren't planning on putting the bridges out this weekend, but we got some cold weather last week, before the snow. We were just kind of waiting for the snow to come, and see what happened out on the lake," said Herman.

The installation comes as good news to the Otter Street Fishing Club. It is holding its fisheree this weekend. Now, leaders say they can expect plenty of traffic from the land and the lake.

Plows cleared the way for ice races on Millers Bay. There is a fishing contest, and inside the big tent, holes were drilled to build the stage.

The Fisheree this weekend is the club's biggest fundraiser of the year.

"We get cabin fever here in Wisconsin. We're looking forward to getting out sometimes with friends. And this is a perfect opportunity to do it. We get to see a lot of people we haven't seen in a while," said Scott Engel, Otter Street Fishing Club President.

Meanwhile back on the bridges, a steady stream of trucks crept onto the lake.

"We're going to go out, and put our tree line in, and check the ice along the way. But we should be pretty good. We have 12 inches out here about for the first mile, then we have 15-16 inches," said Herman.

The Otter Street Fishing Club says plows will remain busy clearing a way across Lake Winnebago.

That ice road is expected to be finished this weekend.