Lake Sturgeon – Endangered Species
Lake Sturgeon
Mouth: (A) Upper lip without lobes, lower lip with two lobes.
Snout: (B) Cone-shaped, rounded.
Tail: (C) Rounded, thick caudal peduncle not fully scaled; smooth areas between rows of bony plates.
Size: Adults normally caught at 45–55 inches and 25–45 lbs.; can reach lengths greater than 6 feet and weights over 100 lbs.
Range: Lower Wabash and White rivers and Lake Michigan,
possibly in other large lakes or rivers.
Shovelnose Sturgeon
Mouth: (A) Upper lip with four lobes, lower lip with four lobes.
Snout: (B) Shovel-shaped, flattened.
Tail: (C) Long, thin caudal peduncle fully scaled with bony plates.
Size: Adults normally caught at 30–40 inches and 3–7 lbs., rarely larger.
Range: Wabash and White rivers and occasionally in other large rivers.
illustrations © Maynard Reece-Iowa DNR
Regulations in red are new this year.
Purple text indicates an important note.
