Lake Sturgeon fishing

Acipenser fulvescens. Heavy, torpedo-shaped body armored with five rows of sharp-edged bony plates (scutes), not scales.

Lake Sturgeon fishing uses a Nightcrawler bottom rig or a Nightcrawlers on 40 to 50 lb line and a fairly stiff casting rod, per Wisconsin DNR, built for a fish that can top 150 pounds. Michigan's lake sturgeon are mostly reared at streamside facilities using a river's own water so juveniles imprint on it before release, raising the odds they return to spawn there as adults decades later.

By Nicolas Sartor · Last verified September 23, 2026

Photo of a Lake Sturgeon — Eric Engbretson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Active times: –
Line: 40–50 lb
Hook sizes: 2/0 short-shank hook
Stocked in: 6 states
Peak in MI: August

Identification

Heavy, torpedo-shaped body armored with five rows of sharp-edged bony plates (scutes), not scales.
Long, tapering snout with four smooth barbels hanging in a row just ahead of a toothless, tube-like sucking mouth.
Heterocercal (shark-like) tail with a longer upper lobe, and two small spiracles atop the head just ahead of the gills.
Distinguished from the smaller shovelnose sturgeon by a short, rounded snout, smooth barbels, and spiracles, which shovelnose lack.
Slate-gray, olive-brown, or black above with a pale underside; young fish show dark blotches that fade as the plates smooth with age.

Sources: dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , mdc.mo.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , michigan.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Photo of a Lake Sturgeon for identification — Eric Engbretson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Top lures

Nightcrawler bottom rig other

Cast out and left stationary on bottom, the standard rig on Wisconsin's open hook-and-line rivers each September.

Dead minnow or cut bait bottom rig other

Same still-fished bottom rig, using a dead minnow or other natural cut bait in place of crawlers.

Anchored bottom rig other

Fished from an anchored boat over a deep river hole, on waters like Michigan's Detroit River catch-and-release fishery.

Sources: dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , michigan.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Top baits

Nightcrawlers

Threaded onto a short-shank hook and left motionless on the bottom, per Wisconsin DNR's lake sturgeon fact sheet.

Dead minnows or cut bait

Fished the same way as crawlers, on a short-shank hook kept still on the bottom.

Sources: dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Line & tackle

Line: 40–50 lb
Rod power: Fairly stiff casting rod, per Wisconsin DNR, built for a fish that can top 150 pounds
Hook sizes: 2/0 short-shank hook

Sources: dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Depth by season

Spring

Migrates into shallow, rocky river shallows to spawn from late April through early June, once water warms into the mid-to-upper 50s F.

Summer · 0–30 ft

Forages on the bottom of lake shallows under 30 feet and in deep river pools, locating food with its barbels rather than by sight.

Fall · 0–30 ft

Same bottom-oriented shallow-flat and deep-pool pattern continues; Wisconsin's open hook-and-line rivers are fished this way each September.

Sources: dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Stocked behavior

Michigan's lake sturgeon are mostly reared at streamside facilities using a river's own water so juveniles imprint on it before release, raising the odds they return to spawn there as adults decades later. This is population rehabilitation, not a put-and-take fishery: females don't spawn until age 24 to 26.

Sources: michigan.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , dnr.wisconsin.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Common mistakes

Holding a sturgeon vertically by the head, gills, or tail, or handling it dry instead of with wet hands, which Michigan DNR warns can injure it.
Keeping a caught sturgeon out of the water longer than necessary; Michigan DNR advises releasing it as quickly as possible.
Undergunning the tackle: Wisconsin DNR recommends heavy line and a stiff casting rod for a fish that can top 150 pounds.

Best time to fish Lake Sturgeon

Show state:

Most commonly stocked in August in Michigan, based on 130 stocking events on record.

Most commonly stocked in January in Minnesota, based on 17 stocking events on record.

Most commonly stocked in October in New York, based on 122 stocking events on record.

Most commonly stocked in September in South Dakota, based on 11 stocking events on record.

Most commonly stocked in January in Wisconsin, based on 27 stocking events on record.

Where it's stocked

31 locations shown. Tap a pin for details. · Open this area in Google Maps

Michigan

Kleber Pond (34) Tower Pond (29) Mullett Lake (28) Otsego Lake (24) Burt Lake (9) Manistique Lake (5) Hubbard Lake (1)

Minnesota

Big Stone (3) Barnesville (2) Otter Tail (2) Maple (1) St James Pit (1)

New York

St. Lawrence River (28) Salmon River (15) Genesee River (13) Cayuga Lake (12) Raquette River (12) Oswegatchie River (11) Black Lake (10) Oneida Lake (10) Lake Ontario (7) Chaumont Bay (3) Cattaraugus Creek (1)

Ohio

Norwalk Reservoir #2 (3) Norwalk Reservoir #3 (1)

South Dakota

Big Stone Lake (11)

Wisconsin

Lake Michigan (11) Petenwell Lake (8) Upper Saint Croix Lake (6) Lake Winnebago (1) Moshawquit Lake (1)

State records

State	Weight	Angler	Water	Year
Michigan	193 lbs.	–	Mullett Lake, Cheboygan County	1974
Minnesota	94 lbs. 4 oz.	–	Kettle River, Pine County	1994
Wisconsin	170 lbs. 10 oz.	–	Yellow Lake, Burnett County	1979

Common questions

What lures work for Lake Sturgeon?

Nightcrawler bottom rig: Cast out and left stationary on bottom, the standard rig on Wisconsin's open hook-and-line rivers each September. Dead minnow or cut bait bottom rig: Same still-fished bottom rig, using a dead minnow or other natural cut bait in place of crawlers. Anchored bottom rig: Fished from an anchored boat over a deep river hole, on waters like Michigan's Detroit River catch-and-release fishery.

What bait works for Lake Sturgeon?

Nightcrawlers: Threaded onto a short-shank hook and left motionless on the bottom, per Wisconsin DNR's lake sturgeon fact sheet. Dead minnows or cut bait: Fished the same way as crawlers, on a short-shank hook kept still on the bottom.

Where do Lake Sturgeon hold?

Spring: Migrates into shallow, rocky river shallows to spawn from late April through early June, once water warms into the mid-to-upper 50s F. Summer: 0 to 30 ft. Forages on the bottom of lake shallows under 30 feet and in deep river pools, locating food with its barbels rather than by sight. Fall: 0 to 30 ft. Same bottom-oriented shallow-flat and deep-pool pattern continues; Wisconsin's open hook-and-line rivers are fished this way each September. Winter: Keeps foraging on the bottom through winter; Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago hosts an ice-spearing fishery over these same bottom areas in February.

How big do Lake Sturgeon get?

The Michigan record is 193 lbs. from Mullett Lake, Cheboygan County in 1974. The Minnesota record is 94 lbs. 4 oz. from Kettle River, Pine County in 1994. The Wisconsin record is 170 lbs. 10 oz. from Yellow Lake, Burnett County in 1979.

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