The Department of Natural Resources today announced the drawing guidelines for the 2009 Black Lake sturgeon spearing season.

Sturgeon spearing on Black Lake, located in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties, will be limited to successful lottery participants selected by random drawing.

The Black Lake sturgeon spearing season opens Feb. 7 and runs through Feb. 15, or until the maximum harvest of five fish has been reached. Twenty-five tags will be issued on a daily basis to successful applicants until the maximum harvest level is reached or the season is completed.

Interested anglers are advised to register for the spearing lottery during the Jan. 12-16 application period. To register for the lottery drawing, anglers should call 989-732-3541 or apply in person at the DNR Gaylord Operations Service Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the application period. All applicants 17 years and older must hold a valid Michigan fishing license. Those under 17 years old may still register for the season. Those applying for the drawing should have proper identification on hand during the application process. This may include a valid driver's license, a Michigan ID card, a DNR Sportscard or a Michigan fishing license.

A 7 p.m. drawing on Jan. 17 will be held at the Chateau North located at 10621 Twin Lakes Rd. in Cheboygan. A total of 225 anglers, or 25 a day, will be selected to fish Feb. 7-15. Successful applicants will be notified of their date to fish by: mail in advance of the season, an update on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr under the Fishing section, or by calling the Gaylord DNR Operations Service Center at 989-732-3541. The phone line will be updated each night after 7 o'clock and will list the successful anglers for the following day, as well as an update of harvest results or if the season has closed.

Successful anglers in the lottery drawing may fish between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. the day they are eligible to fish. A 36-inch minimum size limit applies. Anglers will receive a tag and marking flags issued in their name for their day of fishing. These materials may be picked up at the Onaway DNR field office beginning at 7 a.m. each day. The Onaway field office is located four and one-quarter miles north of Onaway on M-211 Highway. These materials must be returned to the same location by 6 p.m. each day. Anglers wishing to call the Onaway office during the spearing season can call 989-733-8775.

Fishing tags are not transferable and anglers must present proper identification when picking up materials. Unclaimed fishing tags will be made available to anglers present at the registration station by means of a secondary drawing to begin each fishing day at 10 a.m.

For more information, contact the DNR Fisheries Division's Gaylord office at 989-732-3541.