SAVE THE DATE for Sturgeon Fest 2025!
Saturday, June 7 • 10am-3pm
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Park, Port Huron
Huron Lady Sturgeon Cruise – CHECK BACK IN 2025
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 our Blue Water Sturgeon Festival!
Visitors can experience a close encounter with the Great Lakes’ largest fish with a live sturgeon touch tank, hands-on activities, workshops, Native American drum ceremony, food, music and more. Festival parking, admission and activities are free.
Sturgeon Festival also offers an exclusive experience with these giants aboard Port Huron’s premier sightseeing boat, The Huron Lady. 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 under the Blue Water Bridges. The Huron Lady Sturgeon Cruises are SOLD OUT.
Affectionately known as the “Gentle Giant of the Great Lakes”, 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.
Since the Sturgeon Festival was hatched in 2014, Friends of the St. Clair River has been highlighting the fascinating story of this ancient fish - a mascot for the Great Lakes recovery. The Blue Water Sturgeon Festival is our largest annual fundraiser and funds raised during the festival support our education and conservation programs.
EVENT CONSIDERATIONS
- Lighthouse Park is smoke-free
- Bring cash for food and merchandise, there is no ATM on-site
- Lighthouse Climb tickets are $5 and can be purchased on-site from the Port Huron Museum
- Lighthouse Park and Beach are open. The Lighthouse Beach parking lot charge is $5
Festival Activities
Huron Lady Sturgeon Cruise - June 1 at 11am & 1pm SOLD OUT
Get the hottest ticket on the water this summer! This 1.5 hour cruise aboard the Huron Lady takes guests on the St. Clair River and Lake Huron to interact with U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologists catching, tagging and releasing Lake Sturgeon underneath the Blue Water Bridges. Throughout this narrated cruise, you can ask questions to the biologists who study sturgeon and learn about the latest Great Lakes research. There is no other cruise like this in the entire Great Lakes! 100% of ticket sales support our year-round conservation work.
Live Sturgeon Touch Tank - All day, Lighthouse Beach
It’s a LIVE sturgeon encounter! Get up close and touch a lake sturgeon! Meet the DNR and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologists leading the research on Great Lakes lake sturgeon.
Sturgeon Story Contest - Voting closes at 2pm, Winners announced at 2:30
Vote for your favorite student artwork using pocket change! A dozen 5th grade student finalists were selected from hundreds of posters from across St. Clair County. It's up to the community to select the top three winners with online donations now or with pocket change at the festival. Help us catch a keeper for your favorite Sturgeon Story by casting your vote now Sturgeon Homecoming - 2:30pm, Lighthouse Beach
Meet at the touch tank on the beach to see both baby and adult Lake Sturgeon hand-released back to their home in Lake Huron.
Adopt A Sturgeon - All Day
Purchase our Lake Sturgeon adoption kit that includes a 10” plush sturgeon, adoption certificate with naming opportunity, and species spotlight card full of data about your sturgeon. Click here to Adopt Your Sturgeon.
Kids Activities - All day, Pavilion
Meet us under the picnic pavilion for fish print painting, games, Seymour Sturgeon selfies, and more!
Food Trucks, Live Music, Giveaways, and More!
Great Lakes & Nature Vendors
| C-Nic Xpressions Art | MI DNR - Sturgeon Touch Tank | The Toadstool Treasury |
| CAN Marina | MI DNR - Wildlife Division | Tim Brown - Sturgeon Art |
| Cheryl Morgan – Author | Michigan Sea Grant | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit |
| Darling Leather and Fur | Mussel Outreach Program | U.S. Coast Guard |
| Great Lakes Fishery Commission | SEA LIFE Michigan | U.S. FWS - Sturgeon Touch Tank |
| Lake St. Clair CISMA | SEMCO Energy Waste Reduction | U.S. FWS - Detroit River Fish Lab |
| Lynne Heasley - Author | St. Clair County Health Department | USGS Great Lakes Science Center |
| MI Dept of Health & Human Services | St. Clair County Parks & Recreation Commission | We Fixin’ To Fish |
| MI DNR - Forest Health Specialist | St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon For Tomorrow | Bold Denotes Sturgeon Festival Sponsor |
Are you interested in being a Sturgeon Fest sponsor?
N’me Lake Sturgeon – Indigenous Name
• 6 t-shirts
• Logo on t-shirt
• 6 Sturgeon Cruise tickets
• Entertainment Stage naming rights
• Brook Trout benefits
Brook Trout – State Fish
• 4 t-shirts
• 4 Sturgeon Cruise tickets
• 10x20 exhibit space
• Painted Turtle benefits
Painted Turtle – State Reptile
• 2 t-shirts
• 2 Sturgeon cruise tickets
• Logo on banner and event program guide
• Petosky Stone benefits
Petosky Stone – State Stone
• 1 t-shirt
• 1 Sturgeon Cruise ticket
• 10x10 exhibit space
• Logo on social media & website
Sponsors & Partners
N'me Sturgeon
Brook Trout
Painted Turtle
Partners
Sturgeon Resources
Downloads
Sturgeon Videos
Justin Chiotti, of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, takes us behind the scenes to show the collection process of lake sturgeon from the St. Clair River in Port Huron. The work of lake sturgeon conservation in the St. Clair River is very important. It extends beyond the borders of Michigan with the introduction of this threatened species into other Great Lakes. Sponsored by the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium.
The St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, also known as the Huron-Erie Corridor, are the international waters that connect Lake Huron to Lake Erie. Environmental changes in the Corridor over time have resulted in a loss of habitat for fish and other organisms. This video is focusing on the successful St. Clair River fish habitat restoration project and the science and collaboration that made it a success!
Saving The Sturgeon
We’re helping local students play a significant role with lake sturgeon conservation in the St Clair River. Sponsored by St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency.