Lake Sturgeon Recovery in New York - 2021 Update

[george]

There’s great news for lake sturgeon in New York this spring! DEC staff and partners around the state are out sampling to continue measuring recovery of this amazing, ancient species. Scientists at Cornell University’s Biological Field Station at Shackleton Point captured this impressive 159 pound, 6 footer from Oneida Lake. The largest sturgeon documented from the lake to date! DEC and US Fish and Wildlife Service staff will begin their annual egg take on the St. Lawrence River next week to support New York's stocking program.

All of this talk of lake sturgeon is a good reminder to our angling public to be mindful of spawning lake sturgeon. They are still listed as a threatened species in New York and targeting them while angling is prohibited. If you do hook a sturgeon accidentally, please remove the hook without bringing the fish out of the water if at all possible and release the sturgeon immediately. Never lift a sturgeon by its gills – you could damage their cartilage skeleton. Thanks for your cooperation in recovering this amazing fish!