BLACK LAKE — A Rogers City angler reeled in a rare catch earlier this week while trolling for walleye on Black Lake.
Dan Kulik landed a lake sturgeon measuring 66 inches and estimated to weigh between 65 and 70 pounds on the evening of July 23. The fish struck a nightcrawler harness attached to 8-pound test line.
Kulik released the sturgeon immediately after catching it and reported the incident to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources field office in Gaylord.
Lake sturgeon are a protected species in Michigan and can only be harvested under strict seasonal guidelines and with special permits. Black Lake, located in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties, is one of the few inland lakes in the state with a limited sturgeon fishing season.
The DNR encourages anglers to report incidental sturgeon catches to help monitor the population.