(WXYZ) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced the results of a 17-minute Black Lake sturgeon season on Tuesday, days after the annual event ended.
According to the Michigan DNR, Black Lake Sturgeon limit this year was six fish, and those fish were caught in just 17 minutes. It started at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 and was scheduled to run through Feb. 5 or until the limit was hit.
There were 797 registered anglers this year, and the sturgeon harvested ranged in size from 43.5 inches to 64 inches and weighed between 18.2 pounds and 78.3 pounds.
Despite the limit, anglers were allocated a season quota of seven sturgeon by an agreement with tribal governments. That was in case a near-simultaneous harvest of more than one fish, which happened this year as the seventh fish was harvested before a notification to anglers could be sent out.
Anyone who harvested a lake sturgeon must immediately have contacted DNR personnel on the ice.
The details for the fish were:
- First fish - 45.7 inches and 18.8 pounds
- Second fish - 43.5 inches and 18.2 pounds
- Third fish - 46.1 inches and 19 pounds
- Fourth fish - 64 inches and 78.3 pounds
- Fifth fish - 56.7 inches and 41.9 pounds
- Sixth fish - 51 inches and 25.5 pounds
- Seventh fish - 60.5 inches and 47.8 pounds
According to the DNR, only two of the fish had been captured before by Michigan State University and the DNR during spring spawning runs or during previous surveys.
To notify anglers of the season closure, the DNR used text alerts and ice shanty visits from personnel. The methods were used to indicate the season's end within minutes of the final fish being harvested.
