Sturgeon Location in lakes?

[DonBo]

I see most of you guys are fishing the rivers. I'm gonna try my hand at sturgeon fishing for the first time this year on an inland lake in Sconni. There is a small river that flows in and out of this lake. Wondering where these fish might be holding?

I've seen them jump out of the water all over the lake with seemingly no ryme or reason to their locations. Average basin depth is 25-28' with deepest water about 35'. Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

[ec30_06]

I have never fished them in a lake, but I would try anywhere there is some current(inlet, outlet, neckdowns) Or maybe the deep hole if there is enough oxygen in it.

[Shack]

Donbo, I could be wrong, but I thought there was some restrictions on fishing for sturgeon on inland waters??? I will check into it or someone else might post about it.

[DTro]

Well, yeah in MN the only Lakes that you might be able to legally target them is Rainy Lake or LOW. Other than that the only waters are the Rainy River and limited sections of the St Croix.

Now WI is whole different story. I think there are a lot of lakes you can catch them in.

From everything I’ve been told and read, Ed is right on about the current. If you can find it, fish it.

[Shack]

Sconni=Wisconsin

I thought this was a lake I know a couple lakes not far from the Metro that have a good population of Lake Sturgeon (in MN) and it has always been off limits to target them.

I get it. Thanks Dtro

[DonBo]

Donbo, I could be wrong, but I thought there was some restrictions on fishing for sturgeon on inland waters??? I will check into it or someone else might post about it.

You're right. Wisconsin waters open to fishing are few...luckily my home water happens to be one. I'm looking forward to it as they pull some BIG fish out of there.

[Cooter]

Sounds like Wissota, see them jump pretty much everywhere - of course half the people you talk to say they're muskies! If I had a dollar for everytime someone told me about the big musky they saw jump on Wissota I could buy a new St Croix Legend Tournament rod.

Isn't it shallow and weedy where the river dumps in? To me where it necks down to the little lake looks promising - think bottleneck area. Don't know much about sturgeon in lakes. When are you gonna start fishing for them?

[DonBo]

Sorry Cooter, I'm about 110 miles NW of you. (hint, 170 lb state record came from this lake) We have seen some big fish jumping clear out of the water, none were muskies. Season starts this Saturday.

[Nick Kuhn]

Now WI is whole different story. I think there are a lot of lakes you can catch them in.

Don is one one of the few that is a natural lake. The rest are reservoirs along the chippewa and flambeau rivers. That is unless you go all the way over to Winnebago (closed for sturgeon fishing year round unfortunately). There's a 230 lber over there the DNR tagged last fall.

[Cooter]

I know where you're at - is my description way off?

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Yellow Lake? I fished it once for Sturgeon with no luck...they seem quite rare in that lake but are definitely in there. I assume the river that comes in is the Yellow River? We used to have a family cabin on Benoit Lake which is connected to Rice Lake where the Yellow comes in and goes back out down to Yellow Lake. If I remember right it is very shallow where the river comes in, but I believe the smaller part of the lake where the river continues down might be a place to start (don't remember the depth there though).

Wish I could get back out there and try again...that 1970 record makes me wonder if their are still giants swimming in that lake. If I were you I would just take a whole day out on the lake and move around the lake with a 3/0-5/0 circle hook and 3-4 dozen crawlers and see how it goes. In Wisconsin as you know you can have two lines in the water so while you have your main rig out you could cast for Pike and go for some panfish while you wait it out at each location.

As you know it's a large lake so it might take some time to find them.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Also I remember being told there are Channel Catfish in their as well so you might get a few of those fishing in the locations you would find the Sturgeon...let us know how it goes for you.

That lake is basically a huge 20-25 foot basin with a muck bottom and I am definitely not an expert by any means but if I had to take a guess I would start there and move around the lake.

[DonBo]

I know where you're at - is my description way off?

No, you're right on the money. The outlet area is also shallow and weedy. Probably gonna try the deeper water right outside these areas.

[DonBo]

...that 1970 record makes me wonder if their are still giants swimming in that lake.

I once talked to the guy that caught that fish nearly 40 years ago. It was released and has never been seen again. We should assume it's still swimming, alive and well. There are 50-60 pounders caught there every year. One can only hope...

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Hmmm...they can't be all too abundant can they? I sure never heard of many caught when we were up there at our cabin...but definitely saw pictures here and there at the bait shops. I would love to make it up to there again some time and try my luck again at some Sturgeon. Could always head back to our old lake if it's slow.

[Nick Kuhn]

I don't think they are very abundant. I've never seen them breaching there, whereas area like the St Croix above the Taylor's Falls dam have fish breaching every 10 minutes or so. Plus you would think with all of Don's walleye fishing he'd have hooked a few by accident if they were there in numbers.

[DonBo]

Plus you would think with all of Don's walleye fishing he'd have hooked a few by accident if they were there in numbers.

I have caught a few accidentally while walleye fishing, just never the big one. A few weeks ago we could hear them jumping all over the lake. One 4'-5'er just 30' from the boat. That's what got me fired up about going after them.