My most favorite fish is the Lake Sturgeon. In the Midwest, or any state for that matter, it is the absolute largest freshwater(river-related only) fish you can possibly catch. Besides their sheer length and weight, their fighting style is also the most impressive. 90% of the time, they’ll run till their dead, often jumping out of the water 2-3 times in the same fight. Yes, a fish of 6 feet or larger will completely clear the water by 6 feet or more. Other allures to the Lake Sturgeon might be that lure fisherman will never see one, they’re completely harmless and they pretty much look like some mix-n-match dinosaur fish. They have very shark-like tail features and their back is lined with scutes, or bony plates, that are defined to certain degrees based on age, waters they live in and other factors.

The most successful Lake Sturgeon study Jess and I discovered was on the Red Cedar River in Menomonie, WI. This is a relatively shallow river, except for the approximate 1 mile stretch downstream of the Lake Menomin spillway. In this stretch of the river, you’ll find 10-12 feet deep channel runs and small 30 foot holes with sheer vertical wall drop offs. Here, the Sturgeon move around during the spring. In this river, their coloration stays similar to that of the Shovelnose Sturgeon, or Sand Sturgeon, when they are young. They have a very sandy color. Even as sandy juveniles however, they slowly develop black blotches along their backs. This, I’ve discovered, is an indication as to what color they will become as mature adults. Mature adults are jet black along their backs and have an olive, or off-white coloration to their bellies. Lake Sturgeon are cool, but black Lake Sturgeon are even more cool! The 2 tone dark grey and light grey coloration you’ll find on Lake Sturgeon in much cleaner rivers or lakes is neat because it makes them look much more saltwater-like in appearance. They look far more like harmless sharks. But a jet-black Lake Sturgeon is super cool!