Many anglers are impressed by the size of the fish they pull out of the waters near Castlegar. Take Denis Woodcox for example, who caught the largest Kokanee salmon in the world in Arrow Lakes. But there are even larger monsters lurking in the deep of the Columbia River that make Denis’s 12-pound catch seem like a minnow.
Columbia white sturgeon can grow to be over ten feet long and weigh upwards of 400 pounds but the good news is they’re completely docile when it comes to humans. So when you’re swimming in the river next time, fear not as sturgeon prefer to dine on fish carcasses, crustaceans, and mollusks. To be able to see one of these creatures, however, is a wonderful experience and one that’s rare as they’re on the endangered species list. That is why fishing for them isn’t allowed here but spotting them from your paddleboard or kayak is encouraged!
In fact, local guiding company Endless Adventure offers “SUP Sturgeon Search” tours every Spring. Participants meet their paddleboard instructor in Robson at the Lions Head Pub, review the basics about maneuvering on slow moving water, and then float downstream on the Columbia River toward the shallows where sturgeon typically hang out to snack and sun bathe. Thanks to the crystal clear waters, it’s easy to spot them.
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Of course, you don’t need to hire a guide to spot white sturgeon on the Columbia River. If you have your own paddleboard, kayak or canoe, you can easily launch from Millennium Park and cruise the shallow sandy areas near the shoreline.
In years past, another way to see sturgeon was to participate in the local Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program’s Critter Day. The FWCP has been combating the decline of sturgeon numbers by collecting eggs and larvae and rearing the hatchlings before returning them to the river. Critter Day gave families the opportunity to watch the release of juvenile sturgeon into the river and although currently on hiatus, it is hoped that Critter Day will return soon.
Like every one of the 26 species of sturgeon worldwide, the Columbia population has been in existence since the Paleozoic Era but these ones are unique because they’ve been isolated from the ocean. In fact, the white sturgeon’s scientific name is Acipenser transmontanus, which means the “sturgeon over the mountains.”
Due to overfishing practices in the past century, the local species was threatened but thanks to the efforts of a number of organizations, both in Canada and the U.S., the population seems to be bouncing back. There is a complex fertilization program in place now that involves collecting eggs, taking them to hatcheries, rearing the young until they’re nine months old and then releasing them back into the river.
According to the FWCP, juvenile white sturgeon released as part of the conservation efforts have survived and grown better than originally predicted. It is estimated that there are more than 30,000 of these hatchery fish in the Columbia River from Hugh Keenleyside Dam in Castlegar, down through to Lake Roosevelt in the United States.
So while you’re not allowed angling for them, you might just get lucky and spy one of these ancient creatures the next time you’re paddling or swimming on the Columbia River. Great spots to spy them include shallow, sandy locations near Millennium Park.