The 2026 Stugeon Pole | Michigan DNR
Ending likely in less time than it takes to binge your favorite Netflix episode, this year’s edition of Michigan’s Black Lake sturgeon harvest went out with a bang and resulted in six anglers hauling in just as many of these prehistoric fish and a little under an hour.
This year's season kicked off at 8 a.m. sharp on Saturday, February 7th, with nearly 700 hardy anglers registered and ready. The rules for this unique season are simple but strict and allow for anglers to catch-and-keep up to six lake sturgeon (with a buffer quota of seven to account for any "oops, we got two at once" moments, per tribal agreements). The season was slated to run through February 11—or until that magic number was hit, whichever came first.
Well, for the 2026 edition of the season, it took registered anglers just 48 minutes to limit out. By 8:48 a.m., the maximum was reached, texts were deployed as DNR crews zipped across the ice in shanties, and everyone packed up. And for those thinking that the 48-minute season was gone in the blink of an eye, last year's record-shattering sprint was a mere 17 minutes, making the 2026 edition feel almost leisurely by Black Lake standards.
As far as the target fish are concerned, it’s worth noting that these aren't your average panfish. Lake sturgeon are true living dinosaurs that have cruised the waters for over 100 million years, looking like something that escaped a Jurassic Park sequel with their armored plates, shark-like tails, and vacuum-cleaner mouths. Thanks to decades of dedicated rehab work by the Michigan DNR, Sturgeon for Tomorrow's Black Lake chapter, Michigan State University, tribal partners like the Bay Mills Indian Community and others, the population in the Cheboygan River watershed has rebounded enough for this tightly controlled harvest. It's conservation success wrapped in a very chilly, very fast lottery.
The lucky six harvested this year were impressive specimens which included:
- A 61.5-inch male weighing 50 pounds.
- A hefty 64.1-inch female at 78.4 pounds.
- A 52.9-inch male tipping the scales at 46.6 pounds.
- The undisputed champ—a tagged 67.2-inch female weighing 79.4 pounds, speared by Jordan Guelig (who earned the unofficial title of "Sturgeon King" for the day).
- A 58.1-inch mystery (sex TBD via DNA), weighing 40.4 pounds—the only untagged newcomer of the bunch.
- A solid 62.5-inch female at 58.4 pounds, caught by Aaron Maltby to seal the deal.
These fish ranged from about 4 feet to over 5.5 feet long and 40 to nearly 80 pounds and serve as prime examples of why sturgeon are revered (and protected) icons. Until next year…
