The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are warning that lake sturgeon are spawning in the St. Lawrence River.

Lake sturgeon are listed as a threatened species in New York, so there is no open season for the fish and possession is prohibited. It is illegal to target these rare fish and anglers should move away from areas where they are catching them.

The warning has extra meaning for anglers targeting walleye at this time of year, as DEC staff receive numerous reports of lake sturgeon caught unintentionally by people looking for walleye.

Part of the effort to restore the threatened species’ population involves egg collection near the Moses-Saunders Power Dam near Massena, for breeding and stocking in St. Lawrence County waters and elsewhere upstate.

Anglers who do unintentionally hook lake sturgeon should follow these practices to ensure that the fish are returned to the water unharmed:

• Avoid bringing the fish into the boat if possible

• Use pliers to remove the hook; sturgeon are almost always hooked in the mouth

• Always support the fish horizontally. Do not hold sturgeon in a vertical position by their head, gills or tails

• Never touch their eyes or gills

• Minimize their time out of the water and return them to the water immediately once they are freed from fishing gear.

Lake sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River are recovering as a result of protection and stocking efforts by DEC and several partners. Adult sturgeon are captured in the St. Lawrence River and their eggs and sperm are collected by DEC biologists and partners from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the New York Power Authority facilities below the Moses-Saunders Dam at Massena. The fertilized eggs are reared in DEC’s Oneida Hatchery to a size of about eight inches before stocking.

Since 1996, lake sturgeon have been periodically stocked by DEC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service into Black Lake, the Oswegatchie River, Raquette River, St. Lawrence River, St. Regis River and other upstate waterways. Sturgeon are often tagged as part of ongoing research efforts by state and federal agencies.

Anyone who finds a tagged sturgeon is asked to follow the reporting instructions on the tag or contact your regional DEC office for assistance. In New York, visible tags have been placed on lake sturgeon in many waterways in the state, and some sturgeon in these areas have been tagged with large external satellite transmitting tags.

Lake sturgeon are an ancient fish that first appeared during the Upper Cretaceous period 136 million years ago when dinosaurs still walked the earth. Lake sturgeon are native to the Mississippi River Basin, Great Lakes Basin, and Hudson Bay region of North America. They are the largest fish native to northern waters, growing up to seven or more feet in length and achieving weights of up to 300 pounds. Lake sturgeon from New York’s inland waters are smaller on average and may grow to as much as three to five feet in length and about 80 pounds as adults.

Lake sturgeon feed on the bottom and eat primarily aquatic insects, worms, snails, clams and crayfish. Larger sturgeon have been found to consume round gobies.

Lake sturgeon prefer water depths of 15 to 30 feet and water temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees.

Sturgeon were once abundant in New York, but commercial fishing, dam building and habitat loss reduced populations. While sturgeon numbers have improved, their populations are still very low compared to historical levels both in New York and the rest of the Great Lakes states. Their slow rate of maturity and reproduction made them particularly vulnerable to overfishing.

For further information, the links below:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/85721.html

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/26035.html

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7008.html

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/26045.html

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/sturgeon/