British Columbia White Sturgeon Fishing Charters Vancouver BC White Sturgeon Fishing Guide

Found all through the Fraser river from the Ocean at Vancouver upriver to Prince George.

The White Sturgeon is Canada's freshwater "Marlin" growing up to 25 feet and OVER 2000 lbs.

Every year angler's catch a few in the 800 lb range on hi-strength rods and lines.

To land one of these monsters can take up to 4 hours and all the muscle you've got!

Few fisher's can reel one of these in and not be tired. To see several hundred pounds of fish

The Sturgeon of this river system are plentiful and healthy but their brothers are not.

The endangered populations are due to loss of habitat from the dams (and drains) built on the rivers. Low birthrates, habitat destruction and over-fishing have all contributed to record low populations in these systems.

Currently all Sturgeon fishing is catch and release only. Fishing Sturgeon using "Catch and Release" has shown that NO damage is sustained by the fish. (over 24,000 caught and released by Tagging program with over 8,000 recaptures and NO deaths)

The main killer of Fraser river Sturgeon in recent years has been as "By-catch" and "ceremonial" kills by First nation fishers in their gill-nets. Better supervision of nets by First nations would greatly mitigate the losses due to entangled sturgeon. New FN's commercial Chum and Pink fisheries have also caused higher stresses and mortality on the sturgeon and other non-targeted species. DFO and the treaty writers are going in opposite directions and our rights to fish will soon die along with the sturgeon and salmon. The big winner will be the federal coffers and BC Hydro as the only thing in the way of a Hydro project on the Fraser is the fish. FN's will get the blame (instead of the government) and $2b a year will be generated by the new dam. So big government will say one thing and do another as always.

The next major killer of sturgeon has been Poaching. Due to the existence of "farmed" sturgeon illegal sales of poached sturgeon continues. Illegal set lines are still found and destroyed by fisheries. But with limited enforcement due to low funding (see above), the losses continue.

Some sturgeon are also caught in commercial nets but the survival rates are much higher.

The Fraser Valley Angling guides Association members have been active in tagging

Sturgeon to gain scientific information on the Fraser river stocks. The Tagging program

(Note the sensitive barbles that give this fish a soft touch. Many pits line the nose used for detecting minute voltages associated with prey.)

It is the responsibility of all fishers to report any illegal fishing or poaching.

White Sturgeon License Required Sept. 12, 2008 – Regions 2, 3 and 5

Beginning September 12, 2008, sport anglers taking part in the white sturgeon fishery in the lower and middle freshwater portions of the Fraser River watershed will be required to carry a new White Sturgeon Conservation License (WSCL) in addition to a basic provincial angling license.

White Sturgeon

The lower and middle portions of the Fraser River watershed, from the Mission Bridge to and including Williams Lake River in the Cariboo Region, are the only fresh waters in B.C. where it is legal to fish for white sturgeon in a unique catch-and-release fishery. All other fresh waters in B.C. are closed to sturgeon fishing. Due to the recent listing of the other white sturgeon populations (the Columbia, Nechako, Kootenay and upper Fraser populations) as endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), these other populations are not open to recreational fishing.

In light of heightened concern for the lower and middle Fraser populations, and the social and economic importance they represent, the Ministry of Environment will be taking additional measures to ensure their sustainable management.

Provincial fisheries managers are committed to closely monitor and assess the health of white sturgeon populations still available for fisheries. To accomplish this, the new W.S.C.L. will support the gathering of information on the sturgeon fisheries remaining open and will raise revenue for white sturgeon research and management activities.

The W.S.C.L. will be available in one-day, eight-day or annual options.

Annual licences for residents will cost $25, with an eight-day WSCL priced at $15 and a one-day license at $8.

For those who do not live in B.C., the cost will be $60 for an annual license, $30 for an eight-day $15 for a one-day license. PLUS G.S.T. of 5% on all licenses and tags

Possibly the toughest fish swimming the White Sturgeon is more like a shark than a fish.

With their skeletons on the outside and bony "scutes" running their length, careful handling is a must!

Stories of the sturgeons stamina and strength are legend, First nations lore reveres it. One often told story " when the settlers dyked and drained the Chilliwack swamp, and began plowing the new fields for the first time, They found sturgeon alive buried in the dried mud three years later !". This is a fish that has existed on this planet relatively unchanged for over 170 million years!

scroll down for more White sturgeon information!

Fraser and Harrison river Sturgeon:

White Sturgeon License Required Sept. 12, 2008 – Regions 2, 3 and 5