Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens)

History:

The Lake Sturgeon has existed in their present form for over 100 million years. A true living dinosaur, the only threat they have ever faced is humans. Commercial harvest before 1940 almost caused Lake Sturgeon to disappear completely from Alberta. A complete closure on the Lake Sturgeon fishery from 1940 to 1968 allowed populations to recover. They were first reported on the Bow River in 1919, and considering how long they live, that fish could still be alive.

Description:

Lake Sturgeon are very unique in their appearance, somewhat resemblance of a Shark with it’s extended upper portion of the caudal fin. Sturgeon also resemble sharks in the fact they both have cartilage skeletons instead of bone.

Sturgeon are bottom feeders and have a vacuum cleaner like mouth (see diagram) set under it’s head perfectly designed to suck up clams and other food from the bottom.

Colour is mainly grey fading gradually down the sides to a lighter grey almost white on the belly. Young Sturgeon start their life with five rows of razor sharp scutes along its body for protection from predators, as they mature these will become smooth. The dorsal fin is set way back on the sturgeon very close to its caudal fin.

Biology:

Lake Sturgeon are the slowest maturing fish in Alberta, maturing at approximately 20 years of age. Most Sturgeon do not spawn every year, the interval between spawning is usually every four to six years for females and two to three years for males. Sturgeon are spring spawners usually sometime in May or June at water temperatures between 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. Female Sturgeon scatter their eggs in the river current while the male swims close to and slightly above the female releasing milt that covers and fertilizes the eggs. The eggs then stick to rocks and hatch in 5 to 8 days. The fry develop very quickly and look like miniature adults at only 2 to 3 cm in length.

Diet consists of clams, snails, leeches, plant material and small fish. Studies indicate that Lake Sturgeon often stay in the same general areas for extended periods of time, but occasionally do move around within the river. Some Sturgeon in the North Saskatchewan River have been recorded as having traveled more than 100 kms in less than one month.

Angling Techniques:

Lake Sturgeon are bottom feeders that use their powerful sense of smell to search out food sources. So it stands to reason that stationary baits that give off strong odours are going to be the ticket for targeting this magnificent fish. One of the most tried and true methods is to use a three way rig, on one end tie your main line then on the second end of the swivel tie on about 18 inches of mono with a 8 oz pyramid weight, then on the final end of the three way swivel tie a 10 inch piece of mono with a #2 single hook. Now simply thread on a big blob of dew worms. Location is key look for the deeper holes in the river with a sand or muddy bottom just below a stretch of fast water. Cast your line into the pool just at the edge of the faster water and wait. Make sure you use equipment that can handle fish up to 100 lbs as these are very big and strong fish, this will also insure a quick retrieve putting less stress on the fish increasing it’s chance for survival.

Hot Spots:

The Lake Sturgeon are found in the North Saskatchewan River, Lower Red Deer River, Lower Bow, Lower Oldman, and the South Saskatchewan Rivers.