Illinois Lake Sturgeon Recovery Program
Lake Sturgeon are a state-endangered species and may not be harvested by any means in the State of Illinois. Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations have drastically declined in most of its native range within the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) over the last century. These declines have led to the implementation of recovery and management programs by several MRB states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri, and more recently Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries acquired 11,000 Mississippi-strain juvenile Lake Sturgeon from the USFWS Neosho National Fish Hatchery with the purpose of stocking Lake Sturgeon in the Illinois portions of the Mississippi River and its tributaries in 2023. The mission of the Illinois Lake Sturgeon Recovery Program is to re-establish a sustainable population of a state-endangered species in suitable waters within the State of Illinois. If this plan is successful, it could provide a new sport fishing opportunity to Illinois anglers in the future.
Anglers are most likely to encounter Lake Sturgeon in the big rivers and Lake Michigan where they spend most of their lives. However, they may also be found in smaller rivers and streams in early spring when they migrate to spawn as flows increase and water temperatures begin to warm. These spawning activities make Lake Sturgeon highly susceptible to angling pressure, especially in the churning waters in the tailwaters of several dams. Stocked fish have been tagged or marked in various ways.
Note: If you catch a Lake Sturgeon, please take a quick picture of your catch with location information and numbers from any visible tags prior to immediately releasing the fish and report your catch to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Fisheries to help assist biologists with the management of the species.
Lake Sturgeon are slow to reach maturity, taking 15–20 years and only spawn every 4–7 years thereafter. Natural spawning events in Illinois are still a rare occurrence, however, successful spawning events have been documented in the Mississippi River near Alton in recent years.
Lake Sturgeon are one of three species of sturgeon found in Illinois waters. Lake Sturgeon are more torpedo-shaped with a rounded snout and are by far the largest of the three species. Lake Sturgeon can live to be over 150 years old and reach sizes up to 8 feet long and 300 pounds. Pallid Sturgeon are also protected as endangered species at the state and federal level. Pallid Sturgeon can live over 40 years and reach a size of 5 feet long and 65 pounds. The third species is the Shovelnose Sturgeon, which is pictured below. There is a regulated commercial fishery in designated waters for Shovelnose Sturgeon in Illinois. Shovelnose Sturgeon are the smallest of the three species, living over 20 years and rarely reaching sizes over 30 inches and 5 pounds.
The infographic by Kansas Wildlife and Parks found here is an excellent source for characteristics to help identify the species.
Picture at right: Spawning Lake Sturgeon in Wisconsin (photo credit Rob Elliott, USFWS)
Nerissa McClelland, IDNR Illinois River Biologist, with a Shovelnose Sturgeon.
