Michigan's limited sturgeon season broke records for participation, fastest time

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After a historically warm winter last year canceled several events, Michigan’s sturgeon season came back in full swing this past weekend.

It broke records with the most participants and the fastest timing, for what’s already known as the shortest fishing season in the state.

Ice shanties dot the horizon as the sun rises over the frozen Black Lake. It’s only 4'F out, but hundreds of people have gathered here — all because of the elusive, prehistoric lake sturgeon.

“They call them living fossils because they first appeared in the fossil record 130 or so million years ago, so that’s the time when dinosaurs still would have been walking the earth,” said Doug Larson, a sturgeon researcher from Michigan State University.

Larson stands among a crowd of spectators, who are clamoring to catch a glimpse of this mythic species.

With nearly 800 registered anglers, the odds of catching a fish are low. Sturgeon are a threatened species in Michigan, so the state sets the harvest quota for the general public at six fish. An additional fish serves as a buffer, according to the state.

That means, the chances of spearing a sturgeon are less than one percent, and the excitement is even more elevated this year, after the previous season was canceled in an "unprecedented" move.

Teresa Homsi

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WCMU

“Having the fishing season, the fishing contest, way better," said Jay Woiderski, with Sturgeon for Tomorrow. "It’s fabulous. We’re excited.”

Sturgeon for Tomorrow is the local nonprofit that supports sturgeon conservation. The shivaree is the group’s biggest fundraiser, generating about $30,000 for research, and it drives the local winter economy in the region.

But most importantly, Woiderski said the limited season keeps the cultural relevance of the lake sturgeon alive. Meanwhile, the fish population has more than doubled in the last 25 years.

“Well obviously we’re bringing awareness to it through the whole country," Woiderski said. "It’s such a well-regulated season. We’re restricted to 1.2% of the total population in this lake.”

This year, there’s barely any time for anticipation to set in. In a quick procession, a series of text messages goes out to all the participants, for every fish that’s been caught.

The first fish was speared within three minutes of the 8 a.m. start time, and after only 17 minutes, the season is over.

Teresa Homsi

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WCMU

The “winning” anglers bring their prized fish up to state officials, who take the sturgeons’ measurements and scan them for tags.

The crowd of onlookers parts for the lucky seven anglers, who rise to celebrity status as they haul their fish around and pose for pictures.

Debbie Lalonde speared the first fish of the season, and she’s all smiles. It’s her first time catching a sturgeon.

“I was shaking, I was nervous, but it was exciting,” she said.

The largest fish is 5'3" and weighs nearly 80 pounds. A tag indicates this female sturgeon was caught 14 years ago during routine monitoring.

There’s no good way to know how old she is, but Larson, the MSU researcher, said she may be more than a century old.

“In the 24 years we’ve been doing this, we caught her one time," he said. "So this is a very elusive fish for us, but not for the spear.”

Sturgeon can easily outlive us, and maybe because of that fact, there’s a lot we don’t know about them.

But one thing is for sure, their mystery can draw a crowd — and conservationists hope that will keep them around for another 130 million years.

Editor's note: The Michigan DNR is a sponsor of WCMU. We report on them as we do with any other organization.