how much

[youngie22]

would a 64" sturgeon way? any one like to give me an educated guess? how big have you fellas seen come out of the waters around here?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Totally depends on girth. Could be 50 lbs, could be 80 lbs.

[StillwaterAaron]

The only way you could know would be a length and girth measurement. I carry a roll up cloth tape for that. There is a table that the DNR made for the rainy and down here they would be slightly lighter.

[Tim_Anderson]

Like Ralph said, it all depends on the girth. We landed a 68 incher last year that had a high twenties girth if I remember rightly. The gut was stuffed full of eggs, kind of like a sausage. Really tight. I think the DNR table put it up around 85 pounds or more. I should look. I think it's rediculous that I can't remember off the top of my head! Tony, can you help me?

We also caught a number of fish that were 60-65 inches, but none so fat. And they didn't weigh up nearly as much. They were probably more in the range of 50-60 pounds.

I've got that chart around here somewhere...

[Ralph Wiggum]

Yeah, the chart is good. We've compared a lot of fish to it in the past few years, and most are with a couple of pounds of the chart. Of course, it applies to Rainy River/LOTW fish, and I've found that the RR/LOTW fish tend to be thicker over their entire length than St. Croix and Mississippi sturgeon. We had a 67" x 30" last spring that broke my buddies scale. I think the chart put it at about 95lbs, and I am sure it was every pound of that. It was probably the girthiest fish I've ever seen.

Here's a photo.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Wow! That thing is a monster! Wouldn't 95 pounds put it near the state record?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Wow! That thing is a monster! Wouldn't 95 pounds put it near the state record?

Yup, but you need to harvest the fish to claim a state record. And this was during the C&R season (plus, we'd never keep one). I saw photos of an 80" that was caught and documented by the DNR that same weekend last year.

[Lotwfisher]

Email the DNR in northern minnesota. OR better yet, if you catch a tagged one, save the tag# email them the tag number. I did this and they sent me the info on my fish and a great chart that you match length to girth and it gives you the weights. I will try and post it also but its not letting me save it in a format I can upload. One thing I can tell you is a 64" sturgeon will most likely be in the 65-75lbs range dependent on girth. Here is the DNR address and contact info that manages the Rainy River.

Baudette Area Fisheries Office

204 Main St E

Baudette MN 56623

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/index.html

(218) 634-2522

[Lotwfisher]

Also here is another cool piece of info they send you.

Approximate ages for lake sturgeon of

various lengths.

Data for this table is based on fish captured

from the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods.

Length /Age

30" 8yrs

35 10

40 14

45 17

50 23

55 28

60 32

65 37

70 42

[Ralph Wiggum]

Google "mn dnr sturgeon weight chart" and you will find the chart.

[snowman678]

Tim, yes the girth was just over 29" on the big one. If I remember correctly, the chart was around 90 pounds. Here's a shot of it. The picture really doesn't do the fish justice, as I couldn't control it to show the full length of the fish.

[sanka]

You said it was girthy, but thats like XXL girthy. Thats the fattest fish I've ever seen.

[croixflats]

would a 64" sturgeon way? any one like to give me an educated guess? how big have you fellas seen come out of the waters around here?

There are sturgeon in the Croix in the mud 60s but few are brought to the surface nothing like up north. Year before last a bud pulled a 64 incher out my personal best is a 58 out of the St.Croix. I never take the time to measure the girth. I leave my imagination to guess the weight then later I wont be challenged when I fib a little on the weight