Shovelnose Sturgeon - Distribution

Distribution - The shovelnose sturgeon occurs only in the Mississippi drainage basin, appearing in the Mississippi River, the Wisconsin River upstream to the Prairie du Sac Dam, the St. Croix River upstream to St. Croix Falls Dam, the Chippewa River up to the Eau Claire Dam, and the Red Cedar River upstream to the Menomonie Dam. Its presence in the Black River upstream to Black River Falls Dam is suspected but not documented. In Wisconsin, it is uncommon to common in the main channels of the Mississippi and lower Wisconsin rivers and in the lower Chippewa and Red Cedar rivers. Numbers in the Mississippi River have decreased sharply since the turn of the century.

For more information, please contact:

Karl Scheidegger, Fisheries Biologist
(608) 267-7498