Blue Water Sturgeon Festival
Saturday, June 4, 2022, 10am – 3pm
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

Did you know fish six feet long and one hundred years old are swimming Lake Huron, the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair? There are fewer Lake sturgeon today than a century ago because they’re a threatened species, but of the sturgeon still roaming the Great Lakes, most of them are in the St. Clair River. Over 10,000 Lake sturgeon call underneath the Blue Water Bridges home which makes it possible to see these gentle giants at the Blue Water Sturgeon Festival.

Sturgeon Festival is offering an up close experience with these giants aboard our exclusive Huron Lady Sturgeon Science Cruise! This is an amazing opportunity that can only be experienced in Port Huron! Thanks to our partners, St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon For Tomorrow is providing a live sturgeon aquarium experience, and rolling sturgeon video footage from the St. Clair River is provided compliments of Gregory A.D. Throughout this expertly narrated cruise, you can ask questions to the biologists who study Lake sturgeon, learn about the latest Great Lakes sturgeon research, and watch live sturgeon research activities. These research activities, aimed at tracking individual fish over time, is studying the biology, behavior, and ecology of Lake sturgeon. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions, identifying critical habitat, and enhance recovery efforts for this imperiled species.

Since the Sturgeon Festival was hatched in 2012, Friends of the St. Clair River has been highlighting the fascinating story of this ancient fish - a mascot for Great Lakes' recovery.

Affectionately known as the Gentle Giant of the Great Lakes given its enormous size, Lake Sturgeon are phenomenal to see up close. They can weigh up to 150 pounds, grow over 7 feet, and live over 100 years. Once on the brink of extinction and added to Michigan’s Threatened Species list, Lake Sturgeon are making a comeback and have become a spotlight species for the habitat restoration work completed in the St. Clair River. With sturgeon numbers slowly on the rise, we are assured the health of the St. Clair River is also improving.

The Sturgeon Festival is our largest annual fundraiser and, because of COVID-19, we have experienced a significant decrease in fundraising. We are facing financial constraints from the economic impacts of the virus and raising funds is crucial. Funds raised during this event support our conservation, education and stewardship programs.

Sturgeon Festival is a modified experience where equipment sanitization and separation will be maintained. The festival will follow Michigan’s COVID-19 guidelines for face coverings, social distancing and crowd control. Please click our partners logos to the left to view their latest facility hours, tours and amenities.