Lake sturgeon, once endangered in Missouri, are showing signs of creating a sustainable...

Missouri’s endangered prehistoric fish is making a comeback. This is the second year in a row lake sturgeon spawning has been seen at the Maple Island Access in West Alton.
A prehistoric fish that nearly went extinct in the St. Louis region more than 100 years ago is spawning in the Mississippi River at Audubon Center at Riverlands for a second year in a row.

Consistent spawning activity of the species Acipenser fulvescens, or lake sturgeon, is the result of a 40-year reintroduction program involving the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

Lake sturgeon can grow to be over 8 feet long and can weigh as much as 800 pounds. According to the Nature Conservancy, these fish migrate up to thousands of miles in the early spring and summer upriver to lay eggs.