Scott Yess works with a Minnesota DNR biologist to collect a sample for viral testing on a Rainy River lake sturgeon. - FWS photo

Tom McCully, White Earth DNR, holds a lake sturgeon that was spawned at the Rainy River First Nations Hatchery. - FWS photo

On May 8th^, Randy Zortman and Tom McCully (White Earth Natural Resources Dept.), and Scott Yess assisted Joe Hunter and his staff with spawning 9 adult lake sturgeon.  Yess  delivered approximately 50,000 eggs, May 12th, to Genoa National Fish Hatchery. 

In late summer the sturgeon will be tagged and then transported to the White Earth Reservation.

Lake Sturgeon once inhabited the Red River of the North and its tributaries.  In 1926 a lake sturgeon weighing 176 pounds was caught in White Earth Lake.  However, since the turn of the century, lake sturgeon populations have declined due to over harvest, pollution and water development projects.  The last record of a lake sturgeon in this area came from Lake Lida in 1957. 

In 1997 the White Earth Natural Resources Department assisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rainy River First Nations and Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources entered into an agreement to restore Lake Sturgeon  (Acipenser fulvescens)  in White Earth Lake and Round Lake on the White Earth Reservation.

Lake sturgeon are primitive fish that historically inhabited many of Minnesota’s large rivers and the lakes associated with those rivers.  Native American cultures were partially dependent upon the availability of lake sturgeon.  Indian villages were often located near waters where sturgeon spawned.  Early European settlement on Lake of the Woods was due to commercial fishing for lake sturgeon when their caviar and fine flesh were known worldwide. 

It's a goal of the resource agencies to restore lake sturgeon to this part of its original range.  The management plan calls for 8,000 fingerlings to be stocked in White Earth Lake and another 5,000 fingerling to be stocked in Round Lake.

Prior to stocking fingerlings a significant team effort takes place.  One huge hurdle is to test the sturgeon for viral infections prior to shipping the eggs. 

First  Scott Yess (LaCrosse FRO) traveled to Baudette, Minnesota to collect fin clips from 30 lake sturgeon held by Mike Larson’s staff, Minnesota DNR.  The fin clips were delivered to Becky Lasee, LaCrosse Fish Health, on April 28^th.  Results of the viral tests proved negative and were completed on Thursday, May 11^th.