Lake sturgeons' presence in Oneida Lake has been documented from 1856 to as recently as 1973, when a 40-pound fish was caught by anglers who were trolling near Frenchman's Island. Sturgeon used to be abundant in the Great Lakes' region, but overfishing and dam construction decimated their population. New York currently classifies the lake sturgeon as a "threatened" species.

Sturgeon are a fascinating fish. They often live past age 50 and their weight can easily exceed 100 pounds! Some exceptional fish survive for over 150 years. The New York State record lake sturgeon is a 310 pound female that was 7 feet, 11 inches long. Imagine hooking onto a fish like that in Oneida Lake!

Sturgeon usually do not mature until they are 10 to 25 years old. A 200 pound female can produce 3 million eggs. Sturgeon spawn in tributaries of the St. Lawrence River system, and may exhibit the same preference for current when they reproduce in Oneida Lake.

Cornell biologists have been studying Oneida's sturgeons' diet since 1998. They have a unique method for examining these fish. Captured sturgeon are brought to the Field Station, where their stomachs are gently flushed with water. Stomach contents are then emptied into a pan. This method does no harm to the fish. Food particles were found in 40 out of 54 fish, and these items consisted primarily of amphipods--small aquatic insects that are often called "freshwater shrimp". Other sturgeon snacks included: snails, caddis nymphs, bottom dwelling insects, and tesselated darters--small minnows common to Oneida Lake. Sturgeon stomachs also contained a few zebra mussels.

The Oneida Fish Cultural Station has stocked sturgeon in the lake since 1995. The Hatchery's goal is to restore a viable, spawning population. In the spring of 1995, 40,000 larvae (each about 1/4 inch long) were stocked in Oneida Lake. Few of these fry, however, survived. In the fall of that year, 5,000 large fingerlings (each around 10 inches) were released. Five hundred 7-inch sturgeon and 50 twenty-inch fish were stocked in 1996. In 1998, 290 eight-inch sturgeon entered the Oneida ecosystem, followed by 300 nine-inchers in 1999.

Cornell's annual fish surveys reveal that the sturgeon stocking program has been a huge success. To date, biologists have examined 109 fish. In 1996 they handled 5, whose lengths ranged from 14 to 17 inches. These were fish from the previous fall's stocking. Thirty-six sturgeon were recorded in 1997 and these fish had grown to 25 inches. Sturgeon length exceeded 30 inches in 1998 and 1999. Currently, Oneida Lake's sturgeon are from 30 to 37 inches long and their weight sometimes exceeds 13 pounds! This is a very good growth rate.

Most sturgeon have been captured at 3 sites: Dutchman's Island Shoal, Damon Point and Buoy 113. Some anglers, especially those fishing bait on the bottom, have landed sturgeon. To ensure the restoration program's continued success, we strongly urge that all anglers who catch sturgeon in Oneida Lake do the following:

2.  Measure the length of the fish.

3.  Note where you caught the sturgeon.

4.  Check for tags. We have tagged sturgeon with small yellow tags, inserted at the dorsal fin's base (the fin on top of the fish). If your fish has a tag, record the number. Please do not remove the tag.

5.  Release the fish. Remember--sturgeon are classified as "threatened" and must be returned to the water.

6.  Call the Cornell Field Station and report your data. The facility's number is 315-623-9243.

Thomas E. Brooking and Anthony J. VanDeValk are from the Cornell Field Station, and Richard T. Colesante is from the Oneida Hatchery.