Michigan’s Fastest Fishing Season is Over in just 36 Minutes

If you slept in, you missed sturgeon season on Black Lake. The strict catch limits are the lure that makes this the most competitive ice fishing in the state. 

They say the early bird catches the worm. They also say that eating a hot dog can take 36 minutes off your life. What do the two have in common? Sturgeon season on Black Lake in Cheboygan. It's like a story problem from math class: How long will it take 565 fishermen to catch 6 fish on a lake with an area of 15.83 mi²?

To manage the aquatic population, Michigan Department of Natural Resources sets a very strict limit on the number of fish that can be caught. Anglers take it as a challenge and come from several neighboring states with their poles, tip-ups, and spears in the hopes of reeling one in. Only spearing or hook-and-line fishing is allowed in the competition, as more than 550 people took part on February 5, 2022.

The season began as the clock struck 8 am, and hopefuls were notified via text alerts, signal cannons, mortar rounds, and fireworks just 36 minutes later that the limit had been reached. The six fish caught ranged from 56-59.5 inches, weighing anywhere from 23-67 pounds. The largest fish taken out of the lake was a 62-inch male that weighed 67 pounds.

Keep scrolling to see 25 of Michigan's Favorite Lakes and then the Best Lake Towns to Live in in the Entire Country

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