Sturgeon Stocking- Big Stone

What will you be doing in 25 years when these 5″ sturgeon will first spawn?

BK – do you know if these fish can make it down into the Minnesota river? I am not familiar with the Big Stone outlet, if it is a dam, etc. Would be nice to get lakers moving back into the ol’ MN from both ends!

Hopefully something…

…God willing!

No Sir, I know nothing of the area…with the exception of a fish barrier someplace around Worthington.

I looked, and there is a dam at the outlet to the MN, but it has sliding steel gates that can be opened all the way in higher water levels. So it looks like fish can pass.

Cool story. Thanks for posting

A sturgeon tagged in p3 made it to granite falls…. In the west side of the state in the Minnesota river. I’m surprised there just aren’t more in the mn river.

Grand Rapids? Like by Mille Lacs?
or
Park Rapids?

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

A sturgeon tagged in p3 made it to grand rapids…. In the west side of the state in the Minnesota river. I’m surprised there just aren’t more in the mn river.

There were big lakers caught accidently near both Judson and in New Ulm in recent years, so I have no doubt that fish are there. Whether it is a viable breeding population or just the first wave coming back is a whole other story. You don’t get big, deep stretches very frequently that far upstream. I think it is awesome that they are coming back into that river. Speaks volumes for the recovery effort.

You quoted me before I edited it to granite falls. Lol

LOL…I was thinking we should be worried about carp if sturgeon are making it to Grand Rapids!

Glad they’re stocking sturgeon in more places. Sure are a fun fish to catch. I’m hoping in 25 years my average size in a spring rainy river trip is 70#.

I’m thinking in 25 years I won’t be able to pull in a 70# sturg!!

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Glad they’re stocking sturgeon in more places. Sure are a fun fish to catch. I’m hoping in 25 years my average size in a spring rainy river trip is 70#.

Not me. I’ve had me runs of 3 50+ lb fish in an hour up there an after the second one, I was praying for a break.

That’s how I met Boone! Two 50’s or close to 50’s and I was spent. Getting ready to head in before dark and struck up a conversation with them.

Next thing I know…..

and

Then I went in and they continued to fish. Good friends ever since.

Would be great to see more in pool 2. Have heard of one for sure. maybe two being caught on that part of the river. Did get to help haul in a huge paddle fish a few years back. Why is it so hard to get some of our native species back to our waters and we have to work at keeping non natives out?

I think if the MN continues to clean up we’ll see more and more sturgeon. I’ve said it before, but the only pool 2 sturgeon I found was belly up by the docks of Harriet island.

Shovels are going strong in the MN River.

Joel of the DNR has been radio tracking 5 Lakers, it will be interesting to hear the results of this.

I believe one of the five was tagged in the Croix, and made it further up stream, then was tracked into P2…then back into P3.

Which leads me to my thought that the dnr powers that be take 1/2 the money (wasted) spent on Asian Carp be added to studying of out Lake Sturgeon. IMHO.

Pretty awesome that it only took 8 years for these fish to hit 50″. There is some evidence they even might be trying to spawn already!

https://www.wctrib.com/sports/northland-outdoors/a-prehistoric-fish-is-back-for-the-future-of-big-stone-lake

That’s pretty incredible! That’s a happy thing to read about.

Great story. Would be nice to hear about more areas being stocked with sturgeon.

3Rivers wrote:

Pretty awesome that it only took 8 years for these fish to hit 50″.

x2!!! I have to imagine that will level off, or Big Stone is going to jump to the lead to break your record Darren!

Rodwork wrote:

Great story. Would be nice to hear about more areas being stocked with sturgeon.

There’s a pile of lakes that have lake sturgeon stocked around my area. Big sturgies in all the Ottertail and Pelican River system lakes.

Big stone/Traverse Lake sits smack on a continental divide. Water leaving Big Stone to the south will flow into the Minnesota River. Water leaving Traverse to the north will eventually end up in the Red River going to Canada. It’s possible that this young sturgeon could go either way.

Regardless, it is neat that the DNR is pursuing the spread or re-introduction of these ancient fish.