The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has announced that all anglers interested in sturgeon fishing/spearing at Black Lake will again be allowed to participate.
All anglers must register daily. Anglers 17 years of age or older must possess a valid fishing license. All anglers must possess a sturgeon tag, available free from all license vendors.
Spearing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The season runs through Feb. 9 or when the sturgeon quota, which has yet to be determined, is reached, whichever comes first. For quota status during the season, anglers may call the Onaway Field Office at 989-733-8775 during business hours, or the Gaylord Field Office at 989-732-3541 after 6 p.m.
Anglers will be issued a daily disposable flag at registration that must be displayed at the entrance of the angler’s shanty.
Harvested sturgeon must be immediately tagged and immediately registered at the DNRE Onaway Field Office. Registration will include an examination of internal organs and removal of a piece of fin tissue for DNA analysis.
In the event the quota is reached, anglers will be notified on the ice by DNRE personnel. They must stop sturgeon fishing immediately.
This new system allows greater angler participation and still protects the Black Lake sturgeon population from overharvest. These changes were developed cooperatively in recent years with Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, a conservation organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of lake sturgeon.
Lake sturgeon rehabilitation in the Cheboygan River watershed is a cooperative effort involving the DNRE, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Michigan State University and Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership
