Lake Sturgeon: Prehistoric Fish You Can Spear

Lake sturgeon have become a hot topic recently, with the proposed listing of the species under the Endangered Species Act. A decision on whether listing is warranted is expected by the end of June 2024. Lake sturgeon have experienced population declines over the last 200 years, but are a popular sport fish in certain specific locations throughout the Great Lakes region, most notably during the Lake Winnebago spearing season in Wisconsin. While at first glance the word “prehistoric” might come to mind, the lake sturgeon is truly a unique species for the Great Lakes region. 

Lake Sturgeon Facts

• Lake sturgeon are the largest fish native to the Great Lakes region. They can reach 6-8 feet and more than 200 pounds in size!
• Lake sturgeon are benthivores, feeding primarily along the bottom of deep river pools and lake bottoms. Here, they filter out food items like larvae, clams, leeches, snails and crayfish from the substrate by excreting unwanted materials out the gills. 
• In the 1800s, lake sturgeon experienced major population declines because they were a nuisance to commercial fishermen by tearing their nets. They were commonly killed by fishermen and eventually overharvested– in the millions of pounds per year.
• Like salmon, sturgeon return to their place of birth to spawn. The construction of dams on freshwater rivers inhibited this behavior and also negatively impacted sturgeon populations. 
• Sturgeon are a very long-lived species. Females can live to be over 150 years old, and males live to age 55. Due to this long life span, females don’t reach sexual maturity until age 14-33 and only spawn every 4-9 years. Males reach maturity earlier, at around 8-12 years and spawn every 2-7. Only 10-20 percent of the sturgeon population will spawn in a given year. 
• Spawning takes place in April to June when water temperatures reach 55-64 degrees. Baby sturgeon grow fast–the female will lay up to 700,000 eggs, which hatch in 5-8 days. Within 12-14 days, the fry are already an inch long!
• Sturgeon anatomy shows some unique characteristics: sturgeon do not have bony vertebrae; instead they have a notochord (flexible rod) in their back. They also have barbels on their face to help with foraging for food. 
• Sturgeon fossils date back to 136 million years!

Despite population declines, this long-lived species is carefully managed in the Great Lakes region. There are hook-and-line fishing opportunities on rivers, and spearing through the ice opportunities in both Michigan and Wisconsin. Michigan has one lake open to spearing, Black Lake, in the lower peninsula. Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin provides the most accessible opportunity to spear sturgeon and is a major event each year. 

Water clarity is the driving factor in spearing season success rates each year. Applicants can purchase a tag to participate in the Lake Winnebago spearing season and fish until a quota is reached. Anglers must check in any harvested fish at a check station for biological data to be collected. Lake Winnebago has a 9% success rate for participants, but the upriver lakes Poygan, Winneconne and Butte des Morts have a 62% success rate. These lakes are a little more exclusive and require points to draw a license. Spearing takes place inside a dark shack or blind, and decoys are often used to draw in sturgeon. A decoy can be anything from an old piece of junk to hand carved fish decoys passed down for generations. Once a sturgeon passes beneath the hole in the ice, a 6-8 foot long spear is used to harvest the fish. 

Spearing season for lake sturgeon is a great wintertime tradition, and closely monitored to ensure a healthy sturgeon population for the future. Sturgeon For Tomorrow is a great resource to learn more about the biology and conservation of lake sturgeon.

Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.

We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.

We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings.