‘Estimated to be over 120 years old': Massive sturgeon caught in B.C.'s Fraser River

CTV News

09-07-2025

River Monster Adventures says a group fishing just south of Lillooet on Monday was able to reel in a massive sturgeon that had become something of a legend among the company's team. (River Monster Adventures)
A Chilliwack-based fishing charter company that specializes in Fraser River sturgeon has landed the largest fish in its history.
River Monster Adventures says a group fishing just south of Lillooet on Monday was able to reel in a massive sturgeon that had become something of a legend among the company's team.
The nearly 3.1-metre (10′2″) fish is known as 'Ghost,' because it has 'ghosted' the company's anglers for more than a decade.
'Over the years, we believe we've caught glimpses of him, either on our sonar or possibly breaching, but actual sightings have been extremely rare,' said Jen Shareski, of River Monster Adventures, in an email to CTV News.
'As far as we know, no one else has ever caught Ghost before this.'
The crew fishing that day included two repeat clients, a deckhand and a captain, who spent more than an hour reeling in the fish with 'a total team effort,' Shareski said.
River Monster Adventures
(River Monster Adventures)
'Ghost is easily identified by his curled dorsal fins, a rare feature that marks him as a very old fish, estimated to be over 120 years old,' she said.
Despite its advanced age, the fish did not have a tag, which is one of the reasons River Monster Adventures suspects it has never been caught before.
'We are strictly catch and release, and we're proud to be part of the sturgeon conservation tagging program,' Shareski said. 'Before releasing Ghost back into the river, we tagged him and recorded all the relevant data to support ongoing conservation efforts.'
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, white sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in Canada, and they've existed relatively unchanged for millions of years.
In a critical state of decline in some parts of B.C., the bottom-feeding fish is among the wildlife protected under the Species at Risk Act. Species living in the Nechako River, Upper Columbia River, Upper Fraser River and Upper Kootenay River are all protected by the federal act.
The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society says white sturgeon can live well over 150 years, and can grow up to six metres in length.