Lake Sturgeon Fishing Guide

The lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a living fossil — the largest freshwater fish native to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence drainage, capable of exceeding 7 feet in length and 300 pounds. Individuals reliably live over 100 years, with the oldest confirmed specimen aged at 154 years — potentially among the longest-lived freshwater fish on Earth. The bony scutes (plates) running along the body in five rows replace scales and give the fish an armored, prehistoric appearance that reflects its ancient lineage dating back 136 million years. Lake sturgeon were so devastated by commercial fishing in the 19th and early 20th centuries that they remain at a fraction of their historical abundance; most Great Lakes populations are now threatened or endangered. Recovery is slow given the species' extreme longevity and late maturity — females may not spawn until age 25.

Lake Sturgeon is a freshwater species.

Habitat

Large, deep, clear lakes and major rivers of the Great Lakes basin, Lake Champlain, and the upper Mississippi and Missouri drainages. Requires clean gravel or cobble substrate for spawning in large rivers with strong current; feeding habitat includes soft-bottom areas of lakes in 15–50 feet of water. Highly sensitive to habitat alteration and water quality.

Diet

Bottom-feeding omnivore using the toothless, retractable mouth and sensitive barbels to vacuum invertebrates — primarily aquatic insect larvae, leeches, crayfish, mollusks, and small fish — from the substrate. The barbels detect prey by touch and chemical detection before the protrusible mouth sucks them in.

Fishing Techniques

• Bottom fishing with large nightcrawlers during spring run
• Large dead bait on heavy tackle
• Heavy bottom rigs in deep river holes

Best Seasons

Spring

Size & Records

Average weight: 50 lbs. World record: 168 lbs (Kettle River, Minnesota, USA (1994)).