Albany River Sturgeon Fishing

Sturgeon are one of the last few creatures from the dinosaur age that still live. They are also an endangered species and extinct in most places in North America but still common in the Albany River. Sturgeon can also reach 150-pounds in the Albany River with some getting even bigger. In 2003, there was a 153-pound Sturgeon caught about 15 miles up stream from our Albany River outpost camp on Caviar Lake. It was 15-pounds under the Ontario record. They are more common in the 20 to 60-pound range.

The Albany River is stuffed with Brook Trout, Walleye and Northern Pike. It's a great place for your fishing vacation but as an added bonus, which most lakes in Ontario can't give you, is Sturgeon. The Albany River is a clear river, which means the Sturgeon only feed at night. So what guests do is grab the chairs and some beers and sit around the fire and have a line out in the water.

You need a C.I.T.E.S (Export Permit) to bring Sturgeon meat back into the US so it's best to take a picture and let them go. A big Sturgeon will give you all the fun and excitement you need.

Map & Satellite Photo of Caviar Lake / Albany River Caviar Lake / Albany River Camp


Catching Sturgeon is similar to catching big Catfish. Use strong line, 14 to 25-pound test, heavy rod and a bell sinker and cast off from shore as far as you can and just let your bait sit on bottom. The Sturgeon will smell it and find it. They like a bait that smells. Chop up some pork or chicken, put it in a plastic bag and leave it in the sun until it starts to smell bad. Then put a generous chunk on a big strong hook. Have a bell sinker about 2 feet up from the bait and cast out as far as you can. If you don't get a Sturgeon the first night, throw some of the smelly meat in the water and then they will come back the next night.