Some accidental catches by Michigan anglers have prompted the state to issue a reminder about what to do if a sturgeon is caught: release it.
According to an advisory issued by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, fishermen should avoid targeting any sturgeon while casting their lines, and if they do hook one of the protected fish, they should release it immediately.
Big picture view: This year has been a boon for ice fishing and anglers have had success during the winter harvesting walleye and other species.
However, because some trout habitats, such as Steelhead, overlap with those of sturgeon, anglers have been reported to accidentally catch the protected species.
Lake sturgeon are a protected fish species in the Great Lakes, and annual stocking efforts aim to increase their populations. Anglers are not permitted to pursue the fish while the DNR collaborates with federal agencies and indigenous tribes across Michigan to rehabilitate them.
Anglers can only harvest sturgeon from four water sources: Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River from July 16 to September 30, Otsego Lake from July 16 to March 15, the Menominee River in September, and Black Lake on the first Saturday of February.
Other water sources where sturgeon can be caught but must be returned to the water include the Detroit River, St. Mary’s River, Portage and Torch Lakes, and the Ontonagon River.
Dig deeper : Sturgeon can be accidentally caught in various water bodies, such as Saginaw Bay, the Saginaw River, Kalamazoo River, the Grand River, Muskegon Lake, the Muskegon River, Manistee Lake, and the Mainstee River.
“It appears to be fairly easy,” said Ed Baker, manager of the Marquette Fisheries Research Station. “We and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, who manage the Manistee River, have been getting reports of anglers catching sturgeon.”
Part of the reason is that steelhead trout habitat in the Manistee River overlaps with sturgeon spawning grounds.
If an angler accidentally catches a sturgeon, the DNR asks that it be released immediately to avoid harming the fish.
“We know that encountering a fish as iconic as the lake sturgeon is a memorable moment for most anglers, but even the time you take to snap a photo can be extremely detrimental to the fish’s health and survival,” said Jeffrey Jolley, DNR Southern Lake Huron unit manager.
