That was quick. A Michigan ice fishing season opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, only to close 48 minutes later after the harvest quota was met.
The quick season—if you want to call it that—took place on Black Lake, which is situated in Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties, and was for lake sturgeon, a relatively rare, slow-growing fish that first appeared in the fossil record 100 million to 150 million years ago, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
Lake sturgeon population declines were recorded in Michigan and elsewhere throughout the Great Lakes, Mississippi, and Hudson River basins beginning in the 1800s due to habitat loss and degradation, as well as overfishing. In Michigan, the species was listed as a threatened species in 1994. Since then, wildlife officials have been working to restore the species’ populations—while also holding highly-restricted fishing opportunities to maintain fishing traditions for the unique species. One of the reasons that fishing opportunities are so limited is the slow growth patterns and long lives of the species, which have been known to reach over 100 years of age.
One of those opportunities is held on Black Lake each winter, during a short ice fishing season that’s open to both hook-and-line and spearfishing harvest methods. This year, the quota was six fish, and anglers were required to immediately report their catches to MDNR officials. According to a press release, 679 anglers participated in the season. The six fish caught were between 52.9 and 67.2 inches long and weighed 40.4 to 79.4 pounds. After the quota was hit, MDNR officials rapidly alerted anglers that the season as closed through text alerts and in-person ice shanty visits.
Interestingly, five of the six sturgeon harvested had previously been tagged during population surveys during spring spawning runs on the Black River. “This is great as it lets biologists gather data for comparison to when tagging occurred, building a deeper understanding of the recovery of Lake Sturgeon,” explained an MDNR spokesperson in a Facebook post. “This season helps provide biological data on sturgeon in this important fishery, while also giving anglers a unique opportunity to enjoy the species and help us with research that benefits recovery efforts across the state.”
Shockingly, the 2026 season wasn’t the shortest one held on Black Lake in recent years. According to reporting from the Detroit Free Press, the record was set in 2025, when seven sturgeon were harvested in just 17 minutes. Before that, the season lasted 65 minutes in 2023 and 36 minutes in 2022; in 2024, the season was canceled due to poor ice conditions.
Local nonprofit, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, held an ice fishing tournament concurrently with the sturgeon season on Black Lake in 2026, with prizes not only for the heaviest sturgeon, but also for perch, walleye, pike, and muskie. Proceeds of the tournament help support the nonprofit’s mission to advance education and recovery efforts for lake sturgeon. Jordan Guelig won the tournament with a 67.2-inch, 79.4-pound female sturgeon.
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