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White Sturgeon Finally Arrive In Idaho Falls After 150,000,000 Years!

Posted on: October 27, 2007

IDAHO FALLS – It only took about 150,000,000 years, but white sturgeon have finally arrived in the Snake River in downtown Idaho Falls, Idaho. White sturgeon are native to portions of the Snake River in Idaho, but Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho proved a barrier too great to surpass. Thanks to the efforts of the Snake River Sturgeon Cooperative (SRSC) that includes the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG), and the Idaho Aquaculture Association, the great fish finally reached Idaho Falls On Tuesday, October 23. An IDFG hatchery truck transported 74 white sturgeon from the CSI hatchery to the stretch of the Snake River that runs through the very center of Idaho Falls.

White sturgeon are a species of special concern in Idaho and while some natural spawning still may occur, it is primarily through the efforts of the SRSC that white sturgeon numbers are increasing and the fish’s distribution branching out to new areas. According to IDFG’s Upper Snake Regional Fish Manager Jim Fredericks, “We go through a pretty rigorous process any time we introduce a new species outside their native range. We had to insure that introducing the white sturgeon would not negatively impact existing fish populations, habitat conditions and even microscopic invertebrates.” Similar introduction efforts begun in 1990, on the Snake River below American Falls have proven successful. “Sturgeon are large-tackle fish and we’re excited about being able to offer this type of recreational fishing opportunity.” said Fredericks. All sturgeon fishing in Idaho is strictly on a catch-and-release basis, with barbless hooks required. Because of the unique body structure lacking a skeleton for support, it is illegal to even lift a sturgeon from the water.

The 74 fish brought to Idaho Falls ranged in age from three to seven years of age and were from 18” to three feet in length. White sturgeon are a very interesting fish species in many respects. They can easily live thirty to forty years, with some fish even reaching 100 years of age! Their size is also impressive. In not too many years some of the fish released will easily be 5 or 6 feet long. The current state record caught in 1956, using a rod and reel is 394 pounds. A fish weighing 675 pounds was caught in 1908, using a set line. The stretch of river near the falls in downtown Idaho Falls was chosen because of its relatively slow flows, cooler water temps and bottom depths upwards of 70 feet.

All of the fish released were implanted with PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags, similar to those now used for pets. These tags can be scanned without harming the fish so that biologists can track the progress of the introduction. Vital information specifically linked to these tags will provide positive individual identification and allow for tracking the growth of each fish.


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About Dave Langston

Outdoor writer Dave Langston resides in Chubbuck. He grew up in the Midwest and south fishing and hunting across the country.

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