Michigan may expand opportunities to catch ‘prehistoric’ lake sturgeon

• Michigan Wildlife managers, along with their counterparts in Wisconsin, suggest so as to add a catch and instantly launch season for Lake Sturgeon to the Menominee River.
• The Michigan DNR additionally proposes to shorten the utmost stoogst season on Black Lake within the northern decrease peninsula for 2 days.

Michigan fishermen can quickly have extra alternatives to struggle and catch the most important fish of the Nice Lakes area, a fish that goes again to when dinosaurs roam by the earth.

The Michigan Division of Pure Sources proposes, in session with their counterparts in Wisconsin, to create a “catch and quick launch” fishing season for Lake Sturgeon within the Menominee River that types the border of Michigan-Wismonsin within the distant western higher peninsula.

If accredited by the Michigan Pure Sources Fee, the season would begin on the primary Saturday in June 2026 and the primary Sunday of March 2027 in part of the Menominee River from the Grand Rapids -Dam upstream to Sturgeon Falls Dam.

Biologists from Michigan and Wisconsin Fisheries biologists have discovered that it’s speculated to reside between 4,500 and 6,900 Lake Sturgeon within the river, separated by Hydroelectric dams between the Grand Rapids -Dam and Steur Falls Dam. These populations are at present retaining a brief harvest season that runs from September 1 to September 30.

“Figuring out a (catch-and-immersion-release) season will profit fishermen and mustn’t pose a menace to the sturdy sturgeon inhabitants,” wrote DNR division cooks in a proposed order of the fishing that’s offered to the Pure Sources Fee on the assembly of Gaylord. The added season is supported by native regulation enforcement within the Menominee River area, native sport -fishing golf equipment and the West Up Citizen Advisory Council, the Division heads mentioned.

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DNR leaders additionally current a tweak to the present Lake Sturgeon season on Black Lake within the provinces of Cheboygan and Presque Isle within the northern decrease peninsula. The Stuogst season is usually extremely brief and solely lasts 17 minutes on February 1 earlier than the quota of six Lake Steur was reached. The curiosity within the season has continued to rise, regardless of comparatively steady fish quotas, with 776 fishermen registered in 2025, in opposition to 403 fishermen in 2019.

The Black Lake season can at present run from the primary Saturday in February to the next Wednesday or till the harvest quota is reached. The DNR proposes to make the utmost size till the next Monday or till the quota is paid.

“With the present season there’s a potential to take a most of 5 days, which might be extraordinarily difficult for your complete state employees (fishing and regulation enforcement) to remain longer than a season of 1 or two days because of journeys, extra time and basic budgetary vests,” the chiefs of the DNR division acknowledged in a proposed fishing order.

The Pure Sources Fee might make the seasonal adjustments as quickly because the assembly, deliberate for 11 September.

Lake Sturgeon is the most important fish of the Nice Lakes area, comparatively unchanged from the time of the dinosaurs. In keeping with Michigan Sea Grant, The sturgeon are nearshore fish that reside on water depths of 15-30 toes. They feed on multi -bottoms and eat quite a lot of small animals, together with snails, shellfish, aquatic bugs, mussels and small fish. Most sturgeon of the lake that’s caught right this moment weighs between 30 and 100 kilos and develop from 3 to six toes lengthy.

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Lake Sturgeon lives longer than all different fish species in Michigan. Male Meer Sturgeon lives on common 55 years. Females reside 80 to 150 years. It takes a very long time earlier than the fish are 15 years previous – males; Females as much as 25 years previous. The females spawn as soon as each 4 years.

Thought of a web wrecbing nuisance by colonial fishermen within the late 1800s and early 1900s, Lake Sturgeon was destroyed in massive numbers. Their populations had been additional bought by the set up of dams on waterways. The present inhabitants of Lake Sturgeon is estimated at 1% of its historic abundance in Michigan. However habitature restoration efforts and strict harvesting seasons have been in a position to stabilize and get well.

Please contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.