240-pound sturgeon caught in Detroit River likely a century old

Huge lake sturgeon caught on Detroit River

A staff member with the Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office's Detroit River native species crew lies next to an adult lake sturgeon on the deck of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service boat during April 2021.Photo by Jason Fischer | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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A photo of a monster-sized prehistoric fish laid out on a boat deck next to a much smaller person is evidence of one of the largest lake sturgeon ever recorded in the United States.

The fish was caught last week by the Detroit River native species crew of the Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, according to a news release via Facebook. The female weighed in at 240 pounds and measured 6 feet and 10 inches long. She was quickly processed and returned to the river - but not before snapping the eye-catching photo.

The conservation office describes the sturgeon as a “real-life river monster” and a “once in a lifetime catch.”

Officials believe the fish has been roaming the Detroit River and surrounding waters for more than 100 years, hatching in the Detroit River around 1920.

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