The Department of Natural Resources and several partners released more than 6,300 juvenile lake sturgeon into various public waters across Michigan this summer and fall in an effort to rehabilitate this culturally significant fish species.
The table below shows which agencies stocked fish, how many fish were stocked, and the date and location of each stocking effort.
Agency
Number of Fish Stocked
Date Stocked
Location Stocked
DNR
663
July 29-Sept. 5
Otsego Lake (Otsego County)
DNR and Michigan State University
523
Aug. 22-Sept. 25
Black Lake (Cheboygan County)
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
494
Sept. 10
Burt Lake/Cheboygan River (Cheboygan County)
DNR and Michigan State University
500
Aug. 22-Sept. 8
Mullet Lake (Cheboygan County)
DNR and Michigan State University
53
Sept. 8
Sturgeon River (Cheboygan County)
DNR
1,067
Aug. 31-Sept. 14
Cedar River (Menominee County)
DNR and Gun Lake Tribe
12
July 28
Kalamazoo River (Allegan County)
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
241
Sept. 12
Big Manistee River (Manistee County)
DNR and Michigan State University
757
July 20-Sept. 28
Upper Black River (Cheboygan County)
DNR
1,180
Sept. 4-25
Whitefish River (Delta County)
DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
820
Aug. 24
Ontonagon River (Ontonagon County)
Total Lake Sturgeon Stocked: 6,310
All juvenile lake sturgeon were collected from the wild last spring and reared in streamside facilities until they reached at least 7 inches or larger in size. All fish are tagged prior to being released into their respective rivers.
“Many of these stocking efforts were public events that shined a spotlight on how important lake sturgeon are to our state,” said DNR Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter. “Michigan has a long history with lake sturgeon, and working with our partners helps us to move forward toward protecting them for the future.”
These annual stocking efforts are critical to restoring the state’s lake sturgeon population. Along with the DNR and tribes, it takes the work of many partners to secure funding and resources to make restoration of the population possible. These partners include: the DNR, Black Lake chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Kalamazoo River chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish band of Potawatomi Indians, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan State University, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.
