The Living Fossils Are Making Themselves at Home in the Cuyahoga

Some good news out of Northeast Ohio this month: biologists recaptured the first lake sturgeon from the Cuyahoga River, and at about 17 inches long, it had more than doubled in size since it was released in 2025 at Rivergate Park in Cleveland, when it was just seven inches. A fish that vanished from Ohio's rivers is not just back — it's growing like it means to stay.

What happened

Signal Cleveland reported in mid-September that it has been nearly a year since the inaugural Sturgeon Fest, where state, local and federal agencies worked with the community to begin the reintroduction of one of Lake Erie's most iconic native species — and the early report card is encouraging. Before the juvenile sturgeon were released last September, many received tiny acoustic transmitter implants that communicate with receivers throughout the lake, and the data is coming back good. The fingerlings all measured around 17 inches long, growing roughly 10 inches and doubling in weight in the year since their release. "They are making themselves at home," said Eric Weimer, Fisheries Biology supervisor at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Then came the encore. Per Signal Akron, on September 19 hundreds of fingerling lake sturgeon were reintroduced into the river by Summit Metro Parks via long fish slides at Cascade Valley Metro Park — the second public release in Northeast Ohio. The event was held in mid-September to coincide with when the juvenile fish would naturally head to Lake Erie, and was coordinated with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cleveland Metroparks.

Why a big, weird, wonderful fish matters

Lake sturgeon are the kind of animal that makes you double-check the field guide. The lake sturgeon is an ancient freshwater fish native to Lake Erie — the lake's largest fish, occasionally growing up to 300 pounds and eight feet long. But they nearly disappeared here. Ohio has listed lake sturgeon as endangered since 1974, the first year the list was published; once common, Lake Erie populations were nearly wiped out by overfishing, habitat destruction and dams that blocked access to spawning areas.

That's what makes this comeback feel earned rather than lucky. Following water quality improvements and barrier removals, habitat assessments have shown that the Cuyahoga, Maumee, Sandusky, and Scioto rivers have suitable habitat to support spawning lake sturgeon. As one Cleveland outlet put it this month, the return of sturgeon to the river is a sign of its improving cleanliness and health.

A long game, played the Ohio way

Nobody involved is pretending this is a quick fix. The goal over the next 20 years is to build a healthy, sustainable breeding population in the Cuyahoga River. Female lake sturgeon do not produce eggs until they are between 15 and 30 years of age — so the folks releasing seven-inch fingerlings today are doing it for people who haven't graduated high school yet. Biologists say that as long as the young fish stay connected to the Cuyahoga River plume and its water chemistry signal, there's a higher likelihood they'll come back as adults to spawn.

And the effort is statewide. Reintroduction efforts expanded to the Cuyahoga, Sandusky, and Scioto rivers in 2025, with juvenile sturgeon also released in the Maumee River as part of ongoing restoration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Toledo Zoo reared the fish for release. That's zoos, parks, feds, and volunteers with buckets, all pulling the same direction. If you've ever wondered what people mean when they talk about Ohio pride, it looks a lot like a kid sending a living fossil down a slide into a river their grandparents were told to stay out of. It's the same feeling we try to bottle in our Ohio collection.

Go see it for yourself

This is a comeback you can stand next to. The second annual Sturgeon Fest took place this September at Rivergate Park, and the releases in the Cuyahoga Valley are built as public, family-friendly events — Cuyahoga Valley National Park invited the public to help release young lake sturgeon into the river as part of a multi-year initiative to repopulate this iconic native species. Keep an eye on the park and metro parks calendars for next fall, bring the kids, and wear your O-H Tee so the fish know whose river they're coming home to. In the meantime, a walk along the Towpath through the valley is a fine way to check on the neighborhood.

Common questions

What is a lake sturgeon, exactly?

It's an ancient freshwater fish native to Lake Erie, and the lake's largest — occasionally reaching 300 pounds and eight feet long. They're often called living fossils, and they can live for the better part of a century.

Why did they disappear from Ohio?

Once common, Lake Erie populations were nearly wiped out by overfishing, habitat destruction and dams that blocked access to spawning areas, and Ohio has listed the species as endangered since 1974.

When will we know if the reintroduction worked?

It's a generational project. Females don't produce eggs until they're between 15 and 30 years old, and the goal is a healthy, sustainable breeding population in the Cuyahoga over the next 20 years. The good news: the first year's fish grew roughly 10 inches and doubled in weight — a strong start.

Reported by Signal Cleveland. Details as published at the time of writing.