The annual sturgeon harvest on Michigan's Black Lake ended almost as quickly as it began. The state Department of Natural Resources says this year's limit of seven sturgeon were caught within about two-and-a-half-hours after the season opened last Saturday morning. The season had been scheduled to run from Saturday through Wednesday, unless the limit was reached earlier. Officials say 426 anglers were registered to pursue the giant fish with spears or hook-and-line tackle.
The largest sturgeon landed was a 72-inch female that weighed 99 pounds. The harvest is part of a sturgeon rehabilitation program in the Cheboygan River watershed involving the DNR, five Native American tribes and the Black Lake chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow.
Other participants include Michigan State University and Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership.
