Ask a Conservation Officer:

[Lee Borgersen]

 Ask a Conservation Officer:

    When is sturgeon season?

 
By Matthew S. Miller on Apr 22, 2018

 
Q: I have hooked a lot of sturgeon on the St. Louis River while fishing for walleyes and they were a blast to have on my line. Can I purposefully fish for them now?

A: Yes, during certain times of year. In the recent years, regulations on the river have changed to sometimes allow a catch-and-release-only season for sturgeon. The season during which they may be targeted opens June 16 and continues through the ice season to close April 14, 2019. It is closed now, as it is each year from April 15 to June 15.

  ....
During the open catch-and-release season, you may target sturgeon as long as any sturgeon caught is immediately returned to the water, which includes only the brief time needed to quickly unhook and measure or photograph the fish, if you wish. The recovery of the sturgeon population in Lake Superior and the St. Louis River is a great success that now allows for this open season.

It may be many years before they can be possessed, but in the meantime, they make a great gamefish to pursue.