I’ve seen two different posts on facebook in the last week of people catching ~40″ sturgeon on URL. I never knew there were sturgeon in that lake. After looking on the dnr lake finder page, they do list lake sturgeon as a present fish species but non show up in any of the netting samples. Have sturgeon always been in that lake?
I thought I heard they just started stocking that lake.
Yes on the stocking program.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/showstocking.html?downum=04003501
-J.
I saw those pictures as well. Being only seven years old I never thought they would grow that fast!
I saw those pictures as well. Being only seven years old I never thought they would grow that fast!
They don’t, I believe there’s a native population that has been there and they are primarily in Lower Red but wander into Upper occasionally. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that is the case, and why they are now stocking it.
URL is a productive lake, even though it’s pretty far north it’s shallow enough that fish grow fairly fast. MN DNR has been aggressive with reintroductions in the last 10 years or so, here’s a nice article on their work.
https://webapps8.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer_index/past_issues/article_pdf?id=8442
Haven’t they also removed dams that would allow them to migrate freely within the whole system. That would explain the sudden appearance of larger fish.
That would explain the sudden appearance of larger fish.
According to the numbers in the stocking report, the average weight of all fish stocked in 2011 was 1,000 pounds each…. 
-J.
They reintroduced them 8 years ago. If I’m correct you can not target them. they are totally protected.
You’re correct Cookie. The only places to legally target sturgeon in MN are the Rainy/LOTW and the St Croix.
From what I read in the PDF in zooks link page 8-9, they changed the targeting law so you can target them but may not keep them, did I misinterpret that?
From what I read in the PDF in zooks link page 8-9, they changed the targeting law so you can target them but may not keep them, did I misinterpret that?
It varies with border waters but the current MN inland sturgeon season is from mid June though mid April, catch and release only.
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/seasons.html
It’s my understanding, both through that article and in other reading, that besides Rainy River/LOW and the Croix, there was no native sturgeon population in MN as of 20 years ago, so it’s unlikely the fish being caught in URL were an older population.
Also in the last section of that MCV article, it talked about how sturgeon fingerlings released in Big Stone in 2014 were already 17″-24″ by fall of 2016 so it’s easily conceivable that the 7 yr old URL fish are pushing 40″ or more.
Depending on the body of water, the growth slows around 40 inches. Growing fast keeps them out of the bellies of walleyes. 
There have been Sturgeon caught in Kabetogama also. I don’t know if they are native or stocked.
There have been Sturgeon caught in Kabetogama also. I don’t know if they are native or stocked.
Native. The whole system has had them forever. They are a very common springtime incidental catch in the gorge off crane lake.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
Depending on the body of water, the growth slows around 40 inches. Growing fast keeps them out of the bellies of walleyes.But what keeps the walleyes out of the bellies of sturgeon?
That funny looking mouth of theirs.
Sturgeon in the Ottertail system also. Stocked in Ottertail lake I believe. Seen em up river all the way too Little Pine Lake in the spring.
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