Lake Sturgeon Restoration in the Oneida Lake 9/24/2004 Oneida Lake Oneida – Oswego Drainage 6/26/2001 Oneida Lake 8/26/2003 Cornell University Biological Field Station Oneida Lake 9/21/2004 Oneida Lake, NY Oneida Lake 7/10/2002 Oneida Lake Columbia River, Oregon 5/23/2005 Oneida Lake Niagara River - 1946 6/10/2002 How many were stocked? Oneida Lake 6’8” long, 230 lbs 5/4/2006 Lake Sturgeon Stocking History, Oneida Lake Year Number Stocked Age/Size at Stocking 1995 5,000 Age-0 (10”) How long do they live? 1996 500 Age-0 (7”) 50 Age-1 (22”) Biologists can tell how old a sturgeon is by 1998 287 Age-1 (22”) looking at a section of their fin ray. When 100 Age-1 (14.5”) magnified, the bone has annual rings like a 17 lb sturgeon caught in Oneida Lake, Spring 1973 1999 300 Age-0 (8.5”) (From the Oneida Lake Bulletin, Summer 1973) tree. Some sturgeon can live to be over 150 20 Age-4 (35.5”) years old! 2000 300 Age-0 (7.4”) 2003 368 Age-0 (9.2”) 2004 1,200 Age-0 (7.4”) Where have they been found? 1 6 111 How big do they get? 24 Lines mark 6 4 8 1 1 yearly rings Lake sturgeon are stocked at 6-8”. In 5 years they 5 14 1 7 18 8 are 35” long, and in 10 years they are over 4 feet 7 9 7 10 4 19 long. The largest Oneida Lake sturgeon in 2007 Number of sturgeon 15 9 19 caught at sites in 105 83 10 was 5 feet long and weighed 62 pounds! Sturgeon Oneida Lake 1 in the Great lakes have been caught up to 7 feet What do they eat? Oneida Hatchery long and >230 lbs. Oneida Lake sturgeon have also been reported from: Oneida River - Caughdenoy Dam Mohawk River – Erie Canal Rome Oneida Lake Oneida Lake Sturgeon are bottom feeders. They eat a wide variety of bottom dwelling May 15, 2007 July 10, 2007 Oneida River - Three Rivers area Mohawk River – Lock 9 Rotterdam creatures including aquatic insects, snails, and mussels. Fish less than 35” Oneida Lake, June 19, 2003 Onondaga Lake, Cross Lake Fish Creek Oswego River – Phoenix Lake Ontario – Southwicks Beach eat mostly amphipods (freshwater shrimp) and snails. Larger fish feed on Oswego River – Minetto Seneca River - Baldwinsville zebra mussels, in addition to aquatic insects and snails. What can I do to help? Fish less than 900 mm (35”) Fish larger than 900 mm (35”) Leeches Fish Fish Zooplankton Crayfish 1% 4% Zooplankton 0.3% 0.3% 3% Leeches Niagara River 1% 1.2% Jan. 3, 2005 7’7” long, 75 yrs old Oneida Lake, May 14, 2007 Snails Amphipods and 22% Snails 21% Isopods (freshwater shrimp) Amphipods and 28% Zebra Mussels Isopods (freshwater 6% shrimp) Auqatic Insects 45% Zebra Mussels (Caddis, Mayfly, Report any sightings of spawning fish in tributaries to DEC or Cornell Univ. Auqatic Insects 32% Chironomids) Report tagged fish if caught by calling the number on the tag (Caddis, Mayfly, 18% Join the Oneida Lake Association and encourage support of sturgeon programs Chironomids) 18% Urge fisheries managers to continue restoration programs.