If you're an angler in Alberta, one of the bucket-list fish species to catch is the lake sturgeon.
The always elusive and somewhat mythical fish has been around for millions of years.
Lake sturgeon have essentially remained unchanged for over 150 million years.
They can be found in Alberta rivers, namely the North and South Saskatchewan.
The name is a bit misleading in Alberta, as they are only found in rivers here.
Lake Sturgeon can also be found in the Old Man and Red Deer Rivers.
According to the Alberta government's website, lake sturgeons can live for upwards of 150 years.
They are also on the threatened species list and will probably remain there because they take so long to breed.
Lake sturgeon are notoriously challenging to catch as they're bottom feeders and can be found in only a few areas of the province.
Males aren't ready to reproduce until they are about 15 to 20 years old, while females are not ready until they are between 20 and 25 years of age.
While they can live to be well over 100 years old, the largest one caught in Alberta weighed 108 pounds (49 kg) and is estimated to be 62 years old.
They've been known to grow upwards of five to six feet in Alberta, but can grow much larger in larger waterbodies such as the Great Lakes in Ontario.
Many anglers find their spots for fishing from the shore; however, your best chances seem to be via boat, and some fishing guides specialize in sturgeon fishing.
The province has a tagging program in effect using microchips. In the past, the old tag system was used with an external tag; however, problems crept up with them falling off. The new microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are inserted into the belly or musculature.
You always need to have a fishing licence in Alberta to fish for lake sturgeon.