Sturgeon Release

The goal of this 25-year program is to reestablish a breeding population of lake sturgeon in the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan. For the past 9 years, as a collaborative project with the WI DNR, Riveredge has been rearing sturgeon from April – September. Sturgeon eggs are collected from the Wolf River each spring and then raised in a streamside rearing facility all summer long. An all-volunteer team, trained and supported by Riveredge, raises approximately 1,200 yearlings each year. Over the next 20 years, scientists believe that we will once again see a reproducing population of lake sturgeon in the Milwaukee River for the first time since the late 1800′s. Theo, Sophie and Grandma each released a tagged sturgeon (similar to how pets are micro chipped). They named the fish Thomas, Mandy and Paul respectively. If one of the sturgeon is ever captured with their tag number, we’ll be notified and informed of size and location.