What is the life cycle of The Ft. Peck Reservoir/ Missouri River paddlefish?
The fish caught in the Fred Robinson Bridge area are mature males and females that have migrated up the Missouri River to spawn. Most of these fish have grown up in Ft. Peck Reservoir. The males generally don’t reach maturity and head upriver until they are 9 or 10 years old. The females don’t migrate upriver until hey are 14 to 15 years of age. Spawning takes place in May and June over flooded gravel bars. Few confirmed spawning sites have been identified to date. The eggs are sticky and adhere to rocks until they hatch, which is about 7 days in 60 degree water. The young fish are moved downstream by river currents, eventually reaching Ft. Peck Reservoir where they will spend much of their life. Most of a paddlefish’s growth occurs while it is in its juvenile stage in the reservoir. Once the fish matures, very little weight gain occurs no matter how long the fish lives. Therefore, age and size are not always directly related. Their final size is more dependent upon growth conditions e
