Rare Sturgeon Caught in the Potomac
WASHINGTON — An extremely rare shortnose sturgeon has been caught in the Potomac River near Chain Bridge, reigniting hopes that the endangered fish might be capable of staging a comeback after disappearing from the river for more than a decade.
The fish was hooked by 27-year-old Connor Lynch in the D.C. portion of the Potomac River near Fletcher’s Cove Friday afternoon.
Lynch said he and his fishing partner Josh Cohn were stunned as they brought the sturgeon to the boat and realized they had caught a fish that they believed had gone extinct in the Potomac decades ago.
“It was like, ‘Oh my God! This is literally a unicorn,” Lynch said.
The men took pictures without removing the fish from the water and then released it.