The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently announced a record catch during its annual sturgeon survey. The agency reported that a crew caught a 125-pound sturgeon that was over six feet in length.
Last week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources posted on Facebook that the agency’s fisheries staff were conducting their annual sturgeon survey on Lake St. Clair.
“This involves capturing, gathering data, tagging and releasing the fish,” the agency wrote. “These activities provide our biologists and technicians with information on how lake sturgeon are doing. This helps track abundance, survival, movement, habitat use and more. Sturgeon are an amazing and unique species, and efforts like this help us keep up conservation practices to help them thrive.”
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources also announced that an agency crew caught a 125-pound prehistoric lake sturgeon during the annual sturgeon survey.
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Sharing a picture of the enormous fish on Facebook, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said, “Fun fact, just yesterday the crew hauled in their largest (by length) in the history of this survey! A 75.2 inch sturgeon, weighing in at 125 lbs. While aging is a bit more difficult, it wouldn’t be surprising to find out some of these fish are knocking on 80 years old.”
According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s website, Lake St. Clair, which is also called the “Heart of the Great Lakes,” covers 430 square miles in surface area and has an average depth of 11 feet.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that lake sturgeon usually weigh 30 to 80 pounds and are between four and six feet long. Lake sturgeon typically live between 50 and 100 years, while some can even live up to 150 years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes lake sturgeon as “a prehistoric species with a shark-like tail and bony plate-armored covering.”
