Black Lake sturgeon season: Michigan's shortest fishing season approaches
(Michigan DNR)
(FOX 2) - Michigan's shortest fishing season is approaching, and if you aren't quick enough, you may miss it without a catch.
Last year's Black Lake sturgeon season, which is allotted five days in February, ended in just 17 minutes. This is because while the season is limited to four days, fishing harvest limits — six fish — often make that timeline even slimmer.
Black Lake sturgeon season begins on Black Lake near Cheboygan at 8 a.m. the first Saturday of February and ends at 2 p.m. the following Wednesday. However, the season closes early if the sixth fish is harvested or five fish have been harvested at the end of those fishing days.
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The backstory:
Black Lake is one of a few select places to fish for sturgeon – the others being Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River, Otsego Lake, boundary waters between Michigan and Wisconsin, the St. Mary's River, and Portage and Torch Lakes.
Commercial fishing of sturgeon in Michigan is strictly prohibited while the sportfishing season for them is heavily regulated. In the Detroit River, any sturgeon caught between July and March when it's permitted must be immediately released.
Lake sturgeon are a unique species in Michigan and a keystone fish that inhabits the Great Lakes. Commercial fishing of the sturgeon decimated the population, leading to their near-collapse decades ago.
It can take decades for the species to reach their full size. The lifespan of a typical male is about 55 years while females are known to live for 100 years.
How to participate:
All anglers looking to participate in Michigan's 2026 Black Lake sturgeon season must register online by Feb. 6. Those 17 and older are required to have a fishing license.
When on the lake, anglers must have their own bright red flag displayed on their shanties so that Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel can easily identify them.
Once the Black Lake sturgeon season ends, participants will be notified on the ice and via text message that the season is over, and they should stop fishing.
The Black Lake sturgeon season does not get postponed due to weather, and could be canceled up to 48 hours before it is set to begin if weather or other conditions are expected to be dangerous.
The Source: This information is from the Michigan DNR, and previous reporting.