Lake Sturgeon Fishing in Minnesota
An ancient species recovering in Minnesota. Sturgeon can live 100+ years and grow to 6 feet. Catch-and-release only statewide.
Lake Sturgeon
Acipenser fulvescens
An ancient species recovering in Minnesota. Sturgeon can live 100+ years and grow to 6 feet. Catch-and-release only statewide.
Size Limit
Catch-and-release only
Daily Bag
0
Season
Year-round (release only)
State Record
94 lb 4 oz
Kettle River (1994)
Best Months to Fish
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
What to Use
Live Bait & Natural
NightcrawlersCut bait
Lures & Artificials
Heavy bottom rigs
Minnesota Lakes with Lake Sturgeon
19 lakes in our directory have lake sturgeon — sorted by size.
Lake of the Woods (MN)
Lake of the Woods County
725,582.7 acres
Red (Upper Red)
Beltrami County
119,294.35 acres
Namakan
St. Louis County
24,066.28 acres
Kabetogama
St. Louis County
24,034 acres
Otter Tail
Otter Tail County
14,078.61 acres
Big Stone
Big Stone County
11,983.83 acres
Sand Point
St. Louis County
8,526.51 acres
Big Pine
Otter Tail County
4,728.22 acres
Detroit
Becker County
3,067.11 acres
Little Pine
Otter Tail County
2,079.52 acres
White Earth
Becker County
1,988.9 acres
Many Point
Becker County
1,700.9 acres
Regulation Notes
All sturgeon must be immediately released. Threatened species.
More Minnesota Fish Species
Plan Your Lake Sturgeon Trip
Find lakes, guides, and bait shops for your next lake sturgeon fishing trip in Minnesota.
Explore Lakes Find a Guide Bait & TackleRegulations shown are statewide defaults. Some waters have special regulations — always check the current Minnesota DNR regulations before fishing. A Minnesota fishing license is required for ages 16+.