Rare Lake Sturgeon, Tagged Nine Years Ago, Measures Nearly 5 Feet In Gavins Point Catch

A rare lake sturgeon tagged nine years ago has surfaced near Gavins Point Dam, weighing 70 pounds and stretching nearly five feet. The catch occurred while the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission was surveying paddlefish in the Missouri River, and the fish has since grown from 29 pounds and four feet when tagged in Missouri’s confluence with the Osage Rivers. Biologists estimate the sturgeon is about 20 years old, making it a freshwater dinosaur by river standards. The fish’s remarkable journey covers roughly 681 miles upstream over the past decade, underscoring the Missouri River system’s surprising diversity and resilience for local anglers and biologists alike.

The discovery resonates in the region’s fishing lore, where long-running stories mingle with real data, and echoes past notable catches, including a famed paddlefish record in 1979 near the Nebraska border. As officials highlight, some of these river giants continue to defy expectations and captivate communities near Gavins Point and Fort Randall.