Fishing in Idaho? You need to know about this fish release!

There are so many things to do in Idaho, and one of the more popular things to do is go fishing, and I’m assuming many of you might have fishing plans for this Memorial Day weekend.

As you may know, fishing for white sturgeon has become increasingly popular over the years.

White sturgeon are basically prehistoric critters at this point who can live to be more than 100 years old, over 300 pounds, and up to 10 feet long.

* It’s important to note that Idaho fisherman use catch and release methods when fishing for white sturgeon.

(Keep scrolling for incredible pictures of huge white sturgeon caught at Hells Canyon)

According to Idaho Power Company, who has partnered up with the Idaho Fish and Game to operate the Niagara Springs Sturgeon Hatchery, “Idaho Power biologists collect fertilized sturgeon eggs from known spawning areas in the Snake River.”

“Those eggs are brought to the hatchery in the spring where they are tended and reared by Idaho Department of Fish and Game staff for about 11 months. By that time, the juvenile sturgeons have grown to about a foot long and are released back into the Snake River.”

Well, mission complete. Having only opened in 2021, the hatchery announced in a recent YouTube video that their first round is ready to go and that they’re preparing to stock sturgeon in the Snake River this year.

The video descriptions states, “With a goal of rearing up to 2,500 sturgeon each year, the hatchery was designed to work towards the long-term survival and conservation of the Snake River sturgeon population with another goal of providing more fishing opportunity for Snake River sturgeon over the coming years.”