The Oldest Fish in Ohio Is Coming Back to the Scioto

Here's a good one: the Ohio Division of Wildlife will release young lake sturgeon into the Scioto River this fall as part of an ongoing plan to reintroduce the historic fish into the state's major waterways, as Outdoor News reported in early September. It means a fish that vanished from Ohio's rivers generations ago is getting another honest shot at coming home.

What happened

Lake sturgeon are not a quick-turnaround species. Sturgeon are among the oldest fish on earth, can live 100 years, and don't reproduce until age 20. So when the state keeps stocking them, year after year, it's a long promise — the kind you make knowing somebody else may collect on it. The Division of Wildlife, along with the Toledo Zoo, has been stocking lake sturgeon into the Maumee River for many years, and that program is expected to continue; now the division is turning its attention to the state's other rivers.

This builds on a big year. In 2025, reintroduction efforts expanded to the Cuyahoga, Sandusky, and Scioto rivers, where juvenile sturgeon were released for the first time, along with continued releases in the Maumee. Three thousand sturgeon went into the Maumee during Toledo's annual Sturgeon Fest, and an additional 750 went to the Sandusky River.

Why it matters

Because this fish belonged here first. Lake sturgeon were once abundant in Lake Erie and the Ohio River, spawning in their tributaries, but declined over the last 150 years because of dams that blocked spawning sites and unregulated harvest — until Ohio lost all known spawning populations. And this is no minnow we're talking about. Sturgeon can reach 6 to 8 feet in length and upwards of 200 pounds over their 100-year lifespan, making them the largest fish in the Great Lakes.

The comeback only became possible because the rivers themselves got better. Following water quality improvements and barrier removals, habitat assessments have shown that the Cuyahoga, Maumee, Sandusky, and Scioto rivers can support spawning lake sturgeon again. Think about that: the Cuyahoga — yes, that Cuyahoga — is now clean enough to be a sturgeon nursery.

The early returns look good

Scientists are watching closely, and the news is encouraging. In a University of Toledo study published this June, 74 of 94 detected sturgeon — 79% — moved from the Maumee River into Lake Erie after release, which is exactly what young sturgeon are supposed to do. Early signs from previous Maumee releases show rising sturgeon numbers in Lake Erie, giving officials optimism that young stocked fish will eventually return to spawn. The Division plans to keep releasing sturgeon in all four rivers in future years to create a viable, reproducing population in the Lake Erie and Ohio River watersheds.

From the Maumee up north to the Scioto rolling right through Columbus, this is a whole-state effort — the kind of patient, unglamorous work Ohio quietly does well. It's the same spirit we try to bottle in our Ohio collection: pride in a place that keeps fixing what got broken.

What you can do

If you fish, know the rules: lake sturgeon are protected in Ohio as an endangered species — if you encounter one, report it at wildohio.gov and release it carefully if caught. If you don't fish, Toledo's annual Sturgeon Fest has hosted public releases in the fall — a rare chance to personally hand a hundred-year fish its future. Wear your O-H Tee and somebody on the riverbank will finish the cheer for you.

Common questions

When will sturgeon actually spawn in Ohio rivers again?

Not soon — and that's normal. Female sturgeon need up to 25 years to reach sexual maturity and only reproduce every few years, meaning recovery is a long-term project. The fish stocked today are an investment in the 2040s.

Where do the young fish come from?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Toledo Zoo reared the fish for release, and The Ohio State University surgically implanted monitoring tags in juvenile sturgeon released in the Scioto River so biologists can follow their progress.

Why the Scioto specifically?

Biologists expect sturgeon released in the Scioto River to move into the Ohio River, with hope that as the fish mature they'll return to these waterways to spawn — restoring the species to Ohio's southern watershed, not just Lake Erie.

Reported by Outdoor News. Details as published at the time of writing.