Lake sturgeon
| Diet | Nearly anything that it sucks into its mouth; omnivorous |
|---|---|
| Size | Length: Up to 9 feet (274 cm); common length 3.2 feet (97.5 cm) |
| Type | Fishes |
| Range | North America |
| Habitat | Bottom of large rivers and lakes from Canada through Mississippi River, Great Lakes region south to Alabama |
About the Lake sturgeon
Lake sturgeons are the biggest fish in the Great Lakes, and some of the longest lived. The species has been around since the days of the dinosaurs.
Did you know?
Scientists recently discovered that sturgeons can live between 200-400 years! The oldest female was estimated at 427 years old.
Lake sturgeons look for clean rocks in rivers as their spawning grounds. Their adhesive eggs stay attached to the rocks until they hatch. Dams and damage to river habitats have reduced available sturgeon spawning grounds.
In the early 1800s, fishermen didn’t think lake sturgeon were worth eating. They’d dry the fish and use them as fuel for steamships. Later in the century, fishermen began harvesting lake sturgeons as food — for their meat and their roe (for caviar). Sturgeon populations declined drastically.
The lake sturgeon has long been revered by Great Lakes tribal nations for the food and resources it provides and for its spiritual importance.
Like sharks, sturgeons are ancient fish with skeletons made of cartilage. Sturgeons date back more than 136 million years.
- Although their numbers are improving, lake sturgeon are still endangered in the state of Illinois.
IUCN Red List Conservation Status
As Prehistoric as They Look
Lake sturgeons appeared in the fossil record 136 million years ago, and they haven’t changed much since then. A heavy, torpedo-shaped body is partially covered with bony plates instead of scales, while the skeleton is cartilage instead of bone. Four long barbels that sprout from a blunt snout help these bottom-feeding omnivores sweep for insects, crustaceans, small clams, snails and anything else they can suck into a retractable, tubular mouth. Electroreceptors on their head sense weak electric fields from prey or potential mates.
Long-Lived, Yet Endangered
Lake sturgeon are considered one of the oldest species of freshwater fish in North America, but a new study suggests they might live much longer than previously known. Through an analysis of more than 40 years of tagging data, scientists discovered in 2026 that the oldest documented lake sturgeon was a female estimated to be up to 427 years old! This is comparable to the Greenland shark, previously understood to be one of the longest-lived fishes at over 400 years.
Such long-lived species are slow to mature. Males reach breeding age at 8 to 12, while females are between 14 and 33 before they start laying eggs, and they only reproduce every 4-6 years. Overfishing has been a double whammy for sturgeon populations: too many have been taken, and many never had the chance to reproduce. Other threats include dams that block spawning migrations. Lake sturgeon are protected as an endangered species in Illinois and Indiana.