Lake sturgeon have been known to remain within three miles of their original capture site one year later. The most accurate, yet biased, representation of the history of Great Lakes' lake sturgeon populations is through the use of commercial harvest data. This led to their wide-spread slaughter. From 1900 to the 1970s, little is known about the lake sturgeon population, except for its continued decline. Factors affecting the decline in lake sturgeon populations include commercial overexploitation, followed by some degree of habitat loss and degradation.
Habitat loss is sure to be a contributing factor to the demise of lake sturgeon.
However, it is this author's opinion that overharvest played a much more significant role than loss of habitat. 1987 to Present Consequent to the decline, only a remnant population remains today in most Great Lakes areas. Lake sturgeon are not protected in Canadian waters of the Great Lakes. Recently, interest in the restoration of lake sturgeon has increased greatly. The fish can serve as an indicator of ecosystem health and biodiversity, particularly because of its unique life history characteristics.