CHEBOYGAN COUNTY, Mich. – Black Lake sturgeon fishing season is expected to return in 2025 after being canceled last year due to lack of safe ice last year.
The 2025 lake sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake in Cheboygan County will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, according to the Michigan DNR.
---> Producer blog: How I got ‘hooked’ on sturgeon -- and hope you will too!
How to register for lake sturgeon fishing season
Anglers who want to participate in the 2025 Black Lake sturgeon fishing season will need to register online by Jan. 31, 2025.
Anglers will not be able to register in-person at the event. Online registration is required.
Register for Black Lake sturgeon season here: michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing/black-lake.
Anglers who are ages 17 and older will be required to have a valid Michigan fishing license.
What is the harvest limit for 2025 season?
The harvest limit for the 2025 season on Black Lake is six lake sturgeon. There is no minimum size requirement.
How long will the fishing season last?
The fishing season will be closed as soon as the sixth fish is harvested -- or if five fish have been harvested at the end of any fishing day.
In 2023, Black Lake sturgeon season only lasted 65 minutes. The 2024 Black Lake sturgeon season was canceled due to lack of safe ice on the lake.
When are fishing hours on Black Lake?
Fishing hours are from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day.
The fishing season begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, and either ends if the allowed amount of fish have been caught or at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
- Fishing hours: 8 a.m. on until 2 p.m. each day.
- Fishing days: Feb. 1, 2025 through Feb. 5, 2025.
Anglers will be alerted via text message on on ice by DNR personnel that the must immediately stop fishing for lake sturgeon.
Anglers must bring bright red flags
Anglers participating in sturgeon season are required to bring their own bright red flags that are 1-foot diameter or larger to hang on their fishing shanties.
Anglers are required to hang one or more flags in highly visible locations so the DNR knows which anglers are fishing for sturgeon.
What to do when sturgeon is caught
Anglers fishing for sturgeon must immediately let DNR personnel on the ice know when they’ve caught one.
Each fish will be officially registered at a DNR trailer located on or near the ice at the end of Zollner Road in the northwest part of Black Lake.
The DNR may examine the fish’s internal organs and remove a piece of fin tissue for DNA analysis or aging.
Lake sturgeon rehabilitation efforts
Officials have been working on rehabilitation efforts in Black Lake over the last two decades.
It is a collaboration between the DNR, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, tribal agencies, Michigan State University and Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership.
The DNR said the population of sturgeon in the lake has increased in the past 20 years due to lake sturgeon rearing and stocking efforts, and the research and protection of spawning adults. The numbers are expected to continue increasing.
Ice conditions and safety
The 2024 lake sturgeon fishing season was canceled due to lake of safe ice. The DNR encourages anglers to use “extreme caution” when ice fishing.
The Black Lake sturgeon season start date will not be postponed due to weather or other conditions, but it may be canceled up to 48 hours prior to the start of the season if the DNR determines that it’s not safe.
Anglers will be notified via text message and email if changes to the fishing season are made. Tips on ice safety can be found online at: michigan.gov/dnr/education/safety-info/ice.
Click here to watch the full special, “Saving Our Sturgeon.”