Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials announced the 2016 Black Lake sturgeon harvest season ended after one hour Saturday, Feb. 6, with seven fish being harvested. The fishing season, which included spearing or hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 6-10, or until the harvest quota had been reached. The allocation of sturgeon for Black Lake anglers this year was seven fish, although DNR officials set a quota of six fish.
There were 261 registered anglers on the ice Saturday, down from 303 the year before. Most anglers preregistered Friday, Feb. 5, which allowed for a much more streamlined process. Anglers of all ages and genders participated, including a good number of supervised youth.
According to the DNR, the first two sturgeon were harvested by 8:15 a.m. The first was a 50-inch male that weighed 26 pounds, and the second was a 56-inch male weighing 42 pounds. Fish three was a 70-inch female that weighed 96 pounds, taken at 8:22 a.m. Fish four was a 42-inch male weighing in at 16 pounds and was taken at 8:40 a.m. The fifth fish was harvested at 8:50 a.m. and was a 58-inch female that weighed 42 pounds. The sixth and seventh fish harvested were a 40-inch female (13 pounds) and a 46-inch male (20 pounds), both taken around 9 a.m.
Six of the seven fish taken had been captured before by Michigan State University and DNR sturgeon researchers during spring spawning runs or summer tagging surveys on either the Black River or in Black Lake.
The sturgeon fishing hotline was updated at 9 a.m., officially closing the season. In addition, signal cannons and sirens were used to indicate the season’s end within minutes of the final fish being harvested. DNR law enforcement officials and other department personnel were embedded in the on-ice fishing communities and were able to quickly report harvested fish this year, as well as to quickly contact all lake sturgeon anglers on the ice and close the season.
“The unlimited entry fishery paired with a significant on-ice presence of DNR personnel allows for greater participation by anglers while protecting the population of lake sturgeon in Black Lake from overharvest,” said DNR fisheries biologist Tim Cwalinski. “It was deemed a very successful season for angler participation, fish harvest, quick response times, and from a safety perspective.”
In addition, the Black Lake Sturgeon Shivaree event was held on the ice, offering a festive environment for the public, and was sponsored by many local groups.
Rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in the Cheboygan River watershed is a cooperative effort involving the Department of Natural Resources, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Michigan State University and Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership.
