Is it legal to remove sturgeon from the water when ice fishing?

When fishing on PUBLIC waters, sturgeon must not be removed from the water, even when ice fishing.

But, owners of legally permitted private ponds can set their own rules on limits and allowable fish-handling.  That means public fishing rules do not apply to private waters that may contain sturgeon. 

Sturgeon lack a rigid skeleton and removing them from the water can damage their internal organs. Sturgeon live a very long time, so Idaho fishing rules are set up to minimize fishing-related injury to these unique fish.