White Sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

Distribution

White Sturgeon are native to the West coast of North America, where they may be found in coastal waters from Ensenada, Mexico, to Alaska. Although occasionally found in the ocean, they primarily reside in large rivers and their associated estuaries, including the Sacramento-San Joaquin system in California, the Fraser River (British Columbia), and the Columbia River and its tributaries (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho). White Sturgeon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin system represent the southernmost spawning population of the species. Some spawning has recently been documented in the San Joaquin River, and may also occur in tributaries including the Feather, Yuba, and Bear rivers. Small runs may exist on the Russian, Klamath, Trinity, and Eel rivers, but it is not known if successful spawning occurs in those rivers.

Life History and Ecology

White Sturgeon are the largest fish that can be found in freshwater in North America. There are historical records of fish as large as 610 cm (20 ft), although it is now rare to encounter fish larger than 200 cm (6.5 ft) in Californian waters. The average White Sturgeon captured in the Delta in recent years is approximately 109 cm (3.6 ft). As with all Acipenserids, White Sturgeon are long-lived. The oldest fish on record was 103 years old at the time of capture, but most fish in the Delta are now believed to be less than 20 years old. Age at first reproduction is approximately 10-19 years old, with males maturing earlier and at a smaller size than females. Females produce an average of 5648 eggs per kilogram of body weight, and a 60 inch individual averages over 200,000 eggs. White Sturgeon in California spawn every 1-2 years for males and every 2-4 years for females. Adults migrate from the estuary into the river starting in December, spawn from February to June, and return to the Delta after spawning. The early life of White Sturgeon in the wild is still not well understood and in need of continued research. Current evidence indicates that dispersed, fertilized eggs settle to the bottom and stick hard surfaces. Eggs hatch into the larval stage after about 12 days. The newly hatched larvae swim actively for several days before settling to the bottom. Juveniles move rapidly down-river, taking up residence in the freshwater region of the estuary. As adults, White Sturgeon move throughout the San Francisco Bay Estuary, occasionally making forays into coastal waters.

Further details about the species can be found online in the CA Marine Species Portal for White Sturgeon.

Threats

The primary spawning habitat of Sacramento-San Joaquin White Sturgeon is a short reach of the middle Sacramento River, with some additional spawning occurring in the San Joaquin River, so the species is vulnerable to habitat loss and climate change that might degrade or destroy those areas. Other factors that threaten White Sturgeon include entrainment of early life stages into water diversions, contaminants from pollution and terrestrial runoff, and poaching and illegal fishing for meat and eggs. In 2022, a Harmful Algal Bloom was responsible for the deaths of at least 691 sturgeon in San Francisco Bay. Adult White Sturgeon also may find themselves stranded when high flows create river-like conditions on floodplains or bypasses. Learn more about Rescue Efforts on the CA Sturgeon Conservation page.

Species Status

A commercial fishery for White Sturgeon existed in the late 1800's but was shut down in 1901 by the state of California after numbers declined precipitously. Once the population recovered, a recreational harvest fishery for the species was permitted from 1954 through 2024. The White Sturgeon Enhanced Status Report provides further history behind past population management. 

Today, White Sturgeon are a candidate species for listing under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) through the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) (external link). Final regulatory approval from the Office of Administrative Law arrived on July 12, 2024. Candidate species for listing under CESA are granted full protections during the Status Review process. A seasonal catch-and-release only fishery for White Sturgeon has been authorized by the FGC with restrictions on season, location, and handling.

Fish and Game Commission meetings timeline

What comes next?

A Status Review is being conducted by CDFW. While this is developed, White Sturgeon receives full CESA protection. This Status Review will be peer reviewed and based upon the best scientific information available, including population estimates from monitoring. Learn more about population monitoring efforts on the CA Sturgeon Conservation Page.

The Status Review will include a recommendation as to whether the petitioned action to list White Sturgeon as threatened under CESA is warranted (Fish and Game Code § 2074.6). The report will be made publicly available on the CDFW CESA page before the Commission considers acting on the petition.

 The FGC, which is a legally separate entity from CDFW, is charged with making final determination on whether to list a species as endangered or threatened under CESA (Fish and Game Code § 2075.5).

CDFW serves in a scientific advisory role to the FGC during this process. See the California Fish and Game Commission (external link) for details on submitting comments to the Commission and receiving email alerts for upcoming Commission meetings. The listing petition, CDFW’s petition evaluation report, and updates on the listing process are available on the FGC CESA page (external link).

Conservation and Management Actions

As a candidate species under CESA, White Sturgeon now receive the same legal protection afforded to an endangered or threatened species. In addition to restricting fishing to a catch-and-release season, CDFW has also directed scientists to identify, and address take from non-fishing sources. This includes developing conditions to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to White Sturgeon that could be required on projects that affect sturgeon. CDFW will use these conditions along with project-specific analyses when permitting various activities such as transportation, development, and water infrastructure. Additionally, since White Sturgeon became a candidate species, CDFW has worked with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to amend the existing Incidental Take Permit for the State Water Project (SWP). The amendment increases requirements for avoidance, minimization, and other mitigation measures. DWR also will invest in a Science Plan for the species, invest in new monitoring around SWP impacts, increase entrainment and salvage monitoring to deal with risks to White Sturgeon, and develop a risk assessment process that can respond to entrainment of juvenile sturgeon and alter operations to reduce take.

Comprehensive details of current CDFW monitoring and management actions for White Sturgeon can be found on the CA Sturgeon Conservation page. 

Fishing White Sturgeon under CESA

California Fish and Game Code § 2084 allows the Fish and Game Commission to authorize take by hook and line for any sport fish that is listed as endangered, threatened or a candidate species for listing under the CESA.

CDFW stated that a complete closure represented a “financial crisis to Californians who rely on this fishery as part of their business. This includes boat captains, fishing guides, and businesses that rely on anglers such as bait and tackle store and suppliers, marinas, and other boat services. ”In submitting the new regulations to the Commission, CDFW stated: “The best available science suggests that non-lethal take via a catch-and-release fishery would not harm the long-term viability of white sturgeon in California.” The full press release can be found here. 

The Commission adopted emergency regulations proposed by CDFW to reopen the White Sturgeon fishery on a catch-and-release basis, and later voted to convert the emergency regulation into a standard long-term regulation, and make changes to the Report Card.

Outside of the seasonal catch-and-release fishery, White Sturgeon take is prohibited under CESA. It is every angler’s responsibility to know and follow current regulations.

Sturgeon Carcass Reporting

Researchers studying the causes of death of adult sturgeon (PDF) request that any observations of sturgeon carcasses be reported to CASturgeonResearch@gmail.com.

Related Information

Contact

For more information, contact CDFW Fisheries Branch Sturgeon@wildlife.ca.gov.