You can legally eat sturgeon in Michigan, but only a sturgeon you caught yourself under one of the state’s narrow recreational seasons. Lake sturgeon are a threatened species in Michigan, there is no commercial sturgeon fishery, and you will not find locally caught sturgeon at a market or restaurant. Fish the right water at the right time with the right license, though, and you can keep and eat one sturgeon per license year.
Why There’s No Sturgeon at the Market
Lake sturgeon are listed as a threatened species under Michigan administrative code. Part 487 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act prohibits anyone from taking lake sturgeon “except as provided by an order of the department.”1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws Part 487 – Sport Fishing The order in question is Fisheries Order 240.26, which lays out every water, season, and size limit for sturgeon fishing in the state.2Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Order 240.26 – Lake Sturgeon Fishing Regulations Statewide
No commercial harvest exists. That is why eating sturgeon in Michigan is effectively a catch-your-own proposition.
Where and When You Can Keep a Sturgeon
Only four waters in Michigan allow you to actually keep a lake sturgeon. Each has its own season and size rules.2Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Order 240.26 – Lake Sturgeon Fishing Regulations Statewide
- Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River allow hook-and-line harvest from July 16 through September 30. Only fish between 42 and 50 inches may be kept.
- Otsego Lake allows hook-and-line harvest from July 16 through March 15, with a 50-inch minimum. The lake is closed to all sturgeon fishing from March 16 through July 15.
- The Menominee River allows harvest from the first Saturday in September through September 30, with a 60-inch minimum.3eRegulations. Lake Sturgeon Regulations – Michigan
- Black Lake allows spearing and hook-and-line harvest starting the first Saturday in February, running through the following Monday or until the quota is reached. Fishing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There is no size limit.
Several other waters, including the Detroit River, the St. Marys River below the Soo Locks, Portage and Torch Lakes, and the Ontonagon River up to Victoria Dam Road, are open for catch-and-release only. Keeping a fish from those waters is illegal.2Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Order 240.26 – Lake Sturgeon Fishing Regulations Statewide On any water not named in the fisheries order, all sturgeon fishing is prohibited.
Black Lake Is Not Like the Others
Black Lake runs on a quota system and typically ends in hours, not days. In 2026 the quota was six fish and the DNR closed the season after 48 minutes. The 2025 season lasted 17 minutes. The 2024 season was canceled for unsafe ice.4Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2026 Black Lake Sturgeon Season Opens Feb. 7
You must register online before the season opens. Anglers 17 and older need a Michigan fishing license. You also need to bring a bright red flag at least a foot across and hang it on your shanty so DNR staff can identify sturgeon anglers. If you harvest a fish, you contact DNR personnel on the ice immediately for on-site registration. The 24-hour window used on other waters does not apply here.4Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 2026 Black Lake Sturgeon Season Opens Feb. 7
License, Limit, and Registration
You need a valid Michigan fishing license. The annual all-species license is $26 for residents and $76 for nonresidents. A separate sturgeon permit or harvest tag is no longer required.5Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and Hunting License Information
The limit is one lake sturgeon per angler per license year, April 1 through March 31. That limit covers all waters combined. Keep one on the St. Clair River in August and you are done, Black Lake season or not.2Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Order 240.26 – Lake Sturgeon Fishing Regulations Statewide
Outside of Black Lake, you must register a harvested sturgeon within 24 hours. You can do it online at michigan.gov/registerfish, by phone at 844-345-FISH (3474), or in person at a DNR Customer Service Center with advance notice.2Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Order 240.26 – Lake Sturgeon Fishing Regulations Statewide
Penalties for Taking a Sturgeon Illegally
Taking or possessing a sturgeon outside these rules is a misdemeanor. Penalties include up to 180 days in jail, a fine of $500 to $2,000, and prosecution costs. The court will also revoke your fishing license for the rest of the year of conviction plus the following three license years.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 324.48738 Four years off the water is a steep price for skipping a legal season.
Is It Safe to Eat?
Lake sturgeon can live over 100 years, and long-lived fish accumulate mercury and PFAS compounds, particularly PFOS, at higher concentrations than shorter-lived species. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services publishes Eat Safe Fish Guides for individual water bodies, with consumption recommendations based on fillet testing.7Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan Releases 2025 Eat Safe Fish Guides
The guides are not legally binding, but recent updates have expanded “Do Not Eat” advisories for certain species and waters based on new PFOS data. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children face the highest risk. Check the current guide for the specific lake or river before you eat anything you caught there. Trimming visible fat before cooking reduces exposure to fat-soluble chemicals like PCBs, though it will not reduce mercury or PFAS.
Cleaning, Cooking, and Storing Sturgeon
Sturgeon meat is dense and firm, closer to a pork chop than a flaky whitefish. Bleed the fish right after harvest for better meat quality. Cleaning means removing the bony scutes along the body before filleting. Some anglers fillet without opening the body cavity to keep the meat cleaner.
Slower cooking works better than high direct heat, which tends to toughen the meat. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, or at 400°F for about 15 minutes. Bring the internal temperature to at least 145°F.8FoodSafety.gov. Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Grilling and smoking also work well because the firm texture holds up on the grate.
Keep fresh sturgeon in the coldest part of the refrigerator, between 32°F and 38°F, and eat it within one or two days. Cooked sturgeon keeps about four days refrigerated in an airtight container on a bottom shelf. For longer storage, vacuum-seal fillets and freeze up to three months.