Are there sturgeon in Rainy Lake?

Rainy Lake contains a native population of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens that has been largely unstudied. Few lake sturgeon older than age 50 years were captured, and maximum age of sampled fish was 59 years.

Can you keep a sturgeon?

It is illegal to fish for, catch, or keep sturgeon.

What happens if you catch a sturgeon?

What to do if you catch a common sturgeon. It is an offence to land sturgeon without specific permission to do so from the MMO. It is important that any live fish are immediately returned to the sea unharmed. Due to the critical state of common sturgeon population numbers, the survival of each fish is essential.

What do I need to catch sturgeon?

Use strong rods, reels and line. Muskie gear or your strongest freshwater gear is a good choice. These fish fight hard and on walleye gear, the fight often times can last an hour. Heavier gear will allow you to pull in the fish quicker, which puts less stress on the sturgeon and ultimately is better for releasing.

What is the largest sturgeon ever caught?

The largest sturgeon on record was a beluga female captured in the Volga estuary in 1827, measuring 7.2 m (24 ft) long and weighing 1,571 kg (3,463 lb). Most sturgeons are anadromous bottom-feeders, which migrate upstream to spawn, but spend most of their lives feeding in river deltas and estuaries.

Why is it illegal to keep sturgeon?

Honor System. Sturgeons are highly vulnerable to illegal fishing because they begin breeding relatively late, at about age 15, and they spawn infrequently—only every two to seven years. If populations are depleted, recovery is slow.

Is it illegal to take sturgeon out of the water?

What follows is only about white sturgeon since green sturgeon are a threatened species and thus may not be taken, possessed or removed from the water. If a green sturgeon is caught, it must be released immediately.

How big are Sturgeon on the Rainy River?

Lake sturgeon have stolen the spotlight throughout much of this spring fishing season. With their sheer size, reaching in excess of 100 lbs and with how plentiful they are, odds for success while sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River are quite high. In addition, once you are hooked up, the fight can be literally exhausting.

How big does a sturgeon fishing rod get?

Sturgeon fishing is the fishery for those that want a chance to hook into a massive fish in freshwater or estuary. Range of sturgeon size is very wide, you may hook into a small “shaker,” or a 10-foot oversize!

What kind of fishing line to use for sturgeon?

At times, it is human being vs sturgeon in an all out battle. For anglers who target sturgeon, it is a good idea to use heavy tackle. A big reel, rod with good backbone and fishing line in excess of 60 lb test are all good ideas.

How big are sturgeon in Lake of the woods?

The goal of the project is to once again estimate the number of sturgeon longer than 40 inches in the Lake of the Woods – Rainy River system, and to describe the size structure of the population.