Shovelnose Sturgeon - Habits and Habitat

Like lake sturgeon, shovelnose are restricted to living on small organisms - snail, insect larvae, leeches, small clams, and other invertebrates. To locate food, the shovelnose sturgeon will rake the bottom with the sensitive barbels that hang downward from the snout. The highly protrusible lips are adapted to sucking. The shovelnose sturgeon is believed to be an opportunistic feeder, whose food intake is controlled by availability.

Movement studies have shown that shovelnose sturgeon are capable of making significant journeys. Fish have been shown to move in excess of 120 miles. At times, they tend to congregate in the tailwaters of pools. During high-water years, the dam-control gates are out of operation much of the time and are no longer barriers to upstream movement.

For more information, please contact:

Karl Scheidegger, Fisheries Biologist
(608) 267-7498