The history and the comeback of sturgeon in Lake Michigan.

 Back when the first European settlers arrived on the shores of the Great Lakes, they found virtual inland seas bulging with a variety of fi sh. While the many Indian tribes living in the region relied on this rich food source for sustenance, the newcomers swiftly grasped the commercial value of the fishery and were quick to exploit it. Crude fishing techniques were only available at the time—sail- or oar-powered boats, short, heavy cotton nets, no powered mechanical devices to assist in setting or lifting the nets—and many boaters were vulnerable to the unpredictable weather extremes. But these early fishermen still extracted huge quantities of perch, whitefish, chubs and lake trout, which were then shipped to the East and the markets for sale.

The Great Lakes also had an abundance of lake sturgeon, a prehistoric holdover that commonly weighs between 125 and 200 pounds and grows up to 7 feet long. Although the flesh of the sturgeon is white, firm and juicy, this fish did not achieve noticeable commercial value then. And because they often got fouled in the nets that were set for other species, they were considered “pests” by most.

As a result, any sturgeon brought aboard a commercial fishing vessel was killed, and later disposed of onshore. There are even photographs remaining of lake sturgeon piled two stories high being burned on the beaches. As a result of this slaughter, which continued well into the early 18th century, the lake sturgeon population was reduced to what today is considered to be “threatened” or “endangered” in 19 of the 20 states in which it is found.

To learn more about sturgeon history and repopulation of the Great Lakes, look for Jerry Pabst’s full article in the September Issue of MidWest Outdoors magazine, available the first full week of September at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.