White Sturgeon (Snake and Salmon Rivers) (Acipenser transmontanus)

Snake River Sturgeon Poachers Sentenced

During the Fall of 2018, Conservation Officer John Beer investigated a report of two Minidoka county men who had illegally harvested a large sturgeon. The men located the sturgeon while fishing near the Snake River on the south side spillway of the Minidoka Dam. They loaded the huge fish into the trunk of a Dodge Intrepid and left the area. The fish was approximately 5 and 1/2 feet long with the age and weight unknown.

Stocking helps sturgeon population below C.J. Strike Dam

People may have heard about sturgeon being collected from the Snake River below C.J. Stike Dam during April. Don’t be alarmed, it's part of ongoing conservation efforts to help boost the number of sturgeon in the river.

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Low oxygen levels responsible for fish kill below American Falls Dam

While some fish were killed, many survived and it appears die off has not affected fishing

Boise man cited for poaching a sturgeon after sportsman reported it

A Boise man was recently cited for catching and keeping a two-foot white sturgeon caught below Swan Falls Dam on the Snake River. A Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) call triggered the investigation.

Michael Melton (32) caught the sturgeon on the evening of June 17th, and placed the fish in his vehicle. "Fortunately, a nearby angler took action,” Fish and Game conservation officer Brian Jack noted. “He called the CAP hotline and provided us with a license plate number and accurate descriptions of both the vehicle and the suspect.”

Juvenile white sturgeon - CJ Strike Reservoir

2017 was a good year for baby sturgeon in the portions of the Snake River

In the river between Bliss Dam and C.J. Strike Reservoir, sturgeon took advantage of the rare high river flows and spawned successfully during spring.

Sturgeon Stocking 101

Did you know Idaho Department of Fish and Game stocks sturgeon in limited numbers in the Snake River each year? The purpose of the stocking is to maintain a popular and unique fishing opportunity in reaches of the Snake River where sturgeon populations are not self-supporting. It's not like trout stocking where folks get to immediately catch and harvest stocked trout. Sturgeon stocked this year can be around for angler enjoyment potentially for decades.