Q: I caught a tagged white sturgeon. How do I report it and what are the tags used for?

A: Good news—not only have sturgeon tag reward values been increased this year, but we now have an option for anglers to email a photo of their tags.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) uses reward tags to generate population estimates for white sturgeon that are within the legal slot size (within 40 to 60 inches fork length). CDFW uses the data—in tandem with the sturgeon report card program—to manage population and harvest estimates, and to inform future regulations and conservation management decisions.

Historically, there were three monetary reward values for white sturgeon tags ranging from $50 to $150. This year, the department bumped all tags up to $150 to encourage reporting.

“We know there’s some portion of the public that does not report tags, sometimes because the reward value isn’t high enough. We’re hoping this encourages people to return their tags because that gives us a better idea of population abundance of harvestable fish,” said CDFW fisheries biologist Dylan Stompe.

Anglers who catch a tagged sturgeon can now email a photo of the tag to R3Sportfish@wildlife.ca.gov and it will be paid out. Alternatively, anglers can mail the tag to the following address:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Attn: Sportfish Unit
2825 Cordelia Rd #100
Fairfield, CA 94534

“Some anglers want to keep their tag, and some don’t send it in because it’s a hassle to mail. The new email option is another way for us to get our reporting rate up which ultimately gives us a better idea of how many sturgeon are out there,” said Stompe.