Discard mortality is an important factor to consider when managing catch-and-release fisheries. Even low levels of discard mortality can induce population-level effects particularly in long-lived, low-productivity species like Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens. Unfortunately, little is known about the effects of catch-and-release angling on Lake Sturgeon physiology and probability of discard mortality. We used controlled angling events with standardized gear to capture 96 Lake Sturgeon from August to October 2019 from four regional locations in Wisconsin, USA. We evaluated the physiological effects of angling and activation of the stress response using whole blood concentrations of lactate and glucose as well as assessment of reflex impairment and postcapture monitoring of recovery time. Lactate levels were positively related to fight duration and the fight duration × total length interaction. Glucose level was related to the time a fish spent out of water postangling event. Water temperature had a positive effect on the probability of reflex impairment and the probability that a sturgeon required recovery time. The recovery duration was positively related to the amount of time that the fish was out of water. The movements of a subset of 15 individuals from one location were monitored using acoustic telemetry for approximately 2 weeks postangling. All individuals showed continuous up-and downstream movement during the postrelease monitoring period, and there was no evidence of mortality related to the angling events. Managers considering catch-and-release fisheries for Lake Sturgeon should consider population-specific relative abundance and catch rates. They should exercise caution in scenarios when seasonal aggregations may lead populations to be susceptible to high catch rates, during times of elevated water temperatures, or the combination of these factors. The Lake Sturgeon in this study appeared to be robust to angling-induced

Many inland fisheries are supported by stocking hatchery-produced fish, and fisheries managers often face difficult decisions regarding strain selection. Stocking evaluations that are designed to quantify differences in strain performance provide valuable data for designing stocking programs. Here, we used genetic tools to investigate the capture rate of two strains of Muskellunge that were stocked in Wisconsin lakes. We genotyped a total of 1,011 Muskellunge at 13 microsatellites and used the data from five reference populations to assign fish that were stocked in four Wisconsin lakes to their strain of origin. The strains that were stocked in these lakes were derived from Wisconsin populations in the upper Chippewa River and Wisconsin River drainages and from Leech Lake, Minnesota. The Muskellunge from Leech Lake demonstrated much lower capture rates than the Wisconsin strain, but the results were variable, with a 10% capture rate of fish from the Leech Lake strain in Lake Monona and a 2% capture rate in Lake Wissota, despite similar stocking rates (~25%) in both lakes. We hypothesized that the higher capture rates of Muskellunge from the Wisconsin strain could be due the adaptative advantages of the Wisconsin strain in these waters and suggest that managers continue to stock the nearest native (i.e., Wisconsin) strain to achieve the highest return on investment. Stocking hatchery-produced fish is one of the most common tools employed by fisheries managers to rebuild and sustain inland fisheries (Halverson 2008). One important consideration when building a propagation program is that of choosing appropriate strains that display high survival and growth to maximize the return on stocking investment while also preserving the genetic integrity of