ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is reminding anglers to avoid catching lake sturgeon, which are recovering as a result of protection and stocking efforts.
The agency says sturgeon are spawning in the Great Lakes and their tributaries, the St. Lawrence River, the Finger Lakes and Oneida Lake. Anglers fishing for walleye sometimes catch sturgeon by accident at this time of year.
Lake sturgeon are a threatened species in New York and there's no open season for catching them. Anglers who catch one accidentally are advised to remove the hook with pliers, keep the fish supported horizontally and return it as quickly as possible to the water.
Lake sturgeon are the largest fish native to the Great Lakes. They grow up to 7 feet long and 300 pounds.
