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Sturgeon released into environment
Marine biologists released lake sturgeon into the Great Lakes this June. The ancient species are a longtime resident of the regional waters around Michigan and efforts have been ongoing to conserve their numbers.
(FOX 2) - The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is proposing changes to sturgeon fishing practices in the state, shrinking one season and starting another.
Michigan's Natural Resource Commission could rule as soon as September to implement the changes.
Big picture view:
Sturgeon have called the Great Lakes home for centuries and are known to be one of the longest-living aquatic animals swimming in Michigan.
However, because it takes decades before the species can start reproducing, overfishing and other environmental stressors pose a unique threat to sturgeon. Thanks to decades of management, their population has improved following a long-term decline.
The latest proposals both limit one fishing season while seeking to expand another.
Shortening Black Lake sturgeon season
The DNR is recommending shortening Black Lake sturgeon fishing season, shrinking the five-day span to three days.
The current season begins the first Saturday in February and lasts until the following Wednesday or when the harvesting quota is met - whichever happens first.
Over the past few years, the popularity of the event and a small quota has almost guaranteed the harvest limit is the first to be met. The shortest Black Lake sturgeon season was in 2025 when it lasted only 17 minutes.
The DNR wants to shrink the season length because five days of monitoring the activity "would be extremely challenging for statewide staff." Travel, overtime, and budgetary issues would make any season longer than two-day season tough to oversee.
"This change will alleviate the potential of extending the burden of this special fishery on the department by two days should fishing conditions result in a
longer season," reads the proposal.
Both local police and the advisory boards that review changes to sturgeon fishing practices supported the move.
Sturgeon populations in Great Lakes recovering after longterm decline - just ask sturgio
For decades, sturgeon numbers have fallen in the Great Lakes. But in recent years, the ancient species has been coming back. One juvenile gives us a glimpse into some of the conservation efforts.
Catch-and-release on Michigan-Wisconsin border
Anglers that harvest sturgeon along the Menominee River in the Michigan Upper Peninsula may get more opportunities to fish the species thanks to a proposed catch-and-release season along the Wisconsin border.
The river divides the two states and is a popular spot for catching lake sturgeon.
Back in 2017, surveys of the lake sturgeon population estimated between 4,555 and 6,847 live within a stretch of the river, between the Sturgeon Falls Dam and the Grand Rapids Dam.
The current harvest season goes from the first Saturday of September to Sept. 30. A proposal from the DNR would create a catch-and-release season from the first Saturday in June 2026 to March 2027.
Oldest-ever Great Lakes lake trout recorded in Lake Superior
The best way to measure how old a fish is is by counting the number of rings formed on a chunk of calcium living in its inner ear. This lake trout, named Mary Catherine, had 62 rings.
What's next:
The order will be considered by the NRC during their monthly meeting on Sept. 11. If approved, the changes would go into effect for the following year.
The Source: Proposals toward the Natural Resource Commission that were part of the August meeting agenda were cited for this story.