Just looking around the MNDNR Lakefinder site and looking at stocking records. Did not know there was a lake sturgeon stocking program and Detroit and Otter Tail. They have already surveyed fish over 30″!!
From the DNR site about Detroit Lake:
“A century ago, Detroit Lake was known to harbor lake sturgeon weighing over 100 pounds. Historical accounts from the Detroit newspaper document angler catches of these giants in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Stream fragmentation (dam building), over fishing, and water quality degradation resulted in the loss of this long-lived and slow maturing fish species from Detroit Lake and the entire Red River watershed. Several steps have been taken to reverse this condition and restore the fishery including modifications of dams to make them passable by fish, various water quality improvements, and restrictive fishing regulations. In addition, lake sturgeon reintroductions began in Detroit Lake and a few other Red River watershed locations in 1997. Some of these sturgeon have recently been found during test netting and electrofishing in Detroit. Also, there have been two reports of anglers catching and releasing lake sturgeon during recent years. There is currently no sturgeon harvest allowed in Detroit Lake because of the length of time it takes for sturgeon to become sexually mature (approximately 15-25 years). However, the potential exists to catch fish over 100 pounds in this lake within decades. “
Awesome! Detroit Lake
…rrr
