Shovelnose vs. Lake Sturgeon

  • shayla
    Posts: 1399
    April 29, 2006 at 2:53 pm #1219687

    Help me out, I see people calling what I believed to be small Lake Sturgeon “Shovelnoses”. What’s the difference? How big do Shovelnoses get? It just seems to me that younger Lake Sturgeon have longer pointy noses than when they mature and could be misidentified? The Mn. fishing regs. don’t show pictures identifying the two species. Do shovelnoses only inhabit certain rivers???

    hanson
    Posts: 728
    April 29, 2006 at 3:44 pm #442061

    Here’s a photo of a small Lake Sturgeon to help you out.

    david_scott
    Twin Cities
    Posts: 2946
    April 29, 2006 at 3:52 pm #442063

    The tail on shovelnose sturgeon are about the size of a pencil and dont get larger than about 36″. I have caught a few shovelnose that didnt have the stringy extension off the tail(worn off).

    If the tail section(meat area) is thicker its a lake sturgeon.

    shayla
    Posts: 1399
    April 29, 2006 at 7:43 pm #442097

    Thanks guys, I know I have it figured out now; but what Hanson is holding in his picture is EXACTLY what I have witnessed people calling a shovelnose! Just because it has a longer snout doesn’t make it a shovelnose. Maybe they should rename it to threadfin sturgeon?

    Thanks for confirming my suspicions, guys. I just want to emphasize that people identify their fish properly before reducing it to limit.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13194
    April 29, 2006 at 8:49 pm #442100

    so what is the differance between a small shovel nose and small lake sturgeon? Im sure I have been calling them all shovel nose.

    david_scott
    Twin Cities
    Posts: 2946
    April 29, 2006 at 9:45 pm #442109

    Mike..

    Look at Hanson’s picture closely. Look at his right hand near the tail. The tail of the fish is much larger diameter than his pointer finger. If that were a shovelnose, it would be maybe half the diameter of his finger.

    I have some pictures of shovelnose here.. I will have Sherry scan them and post them later when she has the chance. Once you see them side by side its obvious.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13194
    April 29, 2006 at 10:55 pm #442115

    Wow. That answers the question. Think I have been catching alot more lake sturgeon than I thought.

    fisher sherry
    Minneapolis
    Posts: 487
    April 30, 2006 at 12:54 am #442134

    Another Shovelnose…

    This isn’t the photo Dave had in mind. His friend caught one the same day and we think the picture is a little better. I’ll keep searching for that pic, but I think you are getting the idea now.

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5477
    April 30, 2006 at 2:22 am #442146

    Good thread guys, a bunch of us learned something here. Boy those Shovelnose are strange looking fish! Thanks for the good info and great pictures.

    Rootski

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59944
    May 7, 2006 at 10:40 pm #444295

    Cute little buggers!

    So…anyone know how to prepare them for a meal…since there’s a 10 fish limit??

    bret_clark
    Sparta, WI
    Posts: 9362
    May 8, 2006 at 3:09 pm #444415

    I like them cut into steaks and smoked

    Nickers1234
    Posts: 1
    May 10, 2012 at 2:34 am #1067136

    Any thoughts as to this species? I believe it’s a shovelnose sturgeon, a pretty big one.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59944
    May 10, 2012 at 3:52 am #1067158

    Yep a shovelnose. The MN and WI record is around 5-6 pounds.

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