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Oregon sturgeon fishing!Sturgeon Factoids* There are 23 species of sturgeon in the world, and nine of these can be found in the U.S. Two species of sturgeon are indigenous to the Pacific NW; the white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, and the green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris. * Sturgeon in the genus Acipenser are among the most ancient of fishes having evolved over 180 million years ago in the Jurassic Period (before the peak time of the dinosaurs). * Sturgeon were historically present in streams with access to the Pacific Ocean from central California to the Aleutian Islands. * Discrete spawning populations of white sturgeon currently exist in the Sacramento, Columbia, and Fraser rivers, but some exchange occurs among these populations. Less is known about green sturgeon, but they spawn in the Sacramento, Klamath and Rogue Rivers and do not spawn in the Columbia. * Columbia and Fraser River sturgeon populations are genetically very similar, probably indicative that Columbia River sturgeon provided the founders of the Fraser population after the last ice age. * Sturgeon do not need access to the ocean to complete their life cycle, and populations of white sturgeon exist behind many impoundments in the Columbia and Sacramento rivers. Sturgeon with access to the ocean begin to develop salt tolerance at about 30-36 inches, at which time they may leave the river system of their origin. * Sturgeon grow to a size of seven inches to one foot in their first year of life in the lower Columbia and experience very high mortality. Sturgeon grow about four inches per year until three feet in length, and then about three inches per year until sexually mature. * Average ages for lower Columbia River sturgeon by size are approximately: 8 inches - 1 year; 3 feet - 8 years; 4 feet -12 years; 5 feet - 17 years; 6 feet - 23 years. Sturgeon over 10 feet in length are rare. A 9 1/2 foot sturgeon in the lower Columbia was 64 years old. The largest fish of modern times do not approach the size of fish seen in the late 1800's. * Male sturgeon may mature sexually at four feet, females generally at six feet. Females live longer (35-70 years) than males and grow larger. * Sturgeon spawn from April to June in the lower Columbia mainly in the four mile stretch below Bonneville Dam at water temperatures from 48 -62 F. * A mature female will lay between 100,000 and several million eggs (averaging 15% of the fish's weight) and will spawn from every two to 11 years. * Eggs are fertilized in the water column where they settle out in slower currents and 'stick' to the bottom. Hatch time depends upon water temperature but is usually 1-2 weeks. Columbia River sturgeon were decimated by the commercial fishery in the late 1800's. Commercial landings peaked at 6 million pounds in 1892 and averaged 7 feet in length and 150 lbs. * Recovery of the white sturgeon population did not begin until a six foot maximum size limit was enacted in 1950 to protect broodstock. Recovery response took 20 years to materialize, and juvenile stocks were rebounding by the 1970's. * Popularity of sturgeon angling blossomed in the late 70's with the recovery of sturgeon populations and the decline of salmon fishing opportunities. * The lower Columbia sport sturgeon fishery is big. Current estimates put angler trip totals for white sturgeon on the lower Columbia at 200,000 annually. * Conservative fishery management and protection of sturgeon broodstock has led to a continued increase in the population of white sturgeon in the lower Columbia. As the Columbia population increases, more fish are present in the coastal bays of Oregon and Washington.
ODFW More Sturgeon Information Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Sizing Chart
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