Logo of Big Fish Farms featuring bold text emphasizing sustainable aquaculture and fish farming practices.
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Logo of Big Fish Farms featuring bold text emphasizing sustainable aquaculture and fish farming practices.
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Why We Ranch

Free Range Paddlefish Caviar

At Big Fish Farms we are dedicated to sustainably rearing and ranching the amazing American Paddlefish. Every part of the process, from spawning fry to making caviar, is under our supervision. Almost all “farmed” caviars are made from fish raised in tanks, eating a prepared pelleted diet, but we “ranch” our fish which gives them plenty of room to swim freely with only 10 to 20 fish per water acre. We call it Free Range Caviar.

Tiny paddlefish fry (hatchlings) are stocked into 100,000-gallon tanks in the spring and fed a pelleted food. At the end of the summer, they are large enough to stock into big water, so the tanks are drained and they are moved in fish hauling tanks with oxygen. Once the water temperatures cool, the fish are stocked into the lakes. At that size, about 18 inches in length, they are reasonably safe from predation by other fish and birds. They will live here for the next ten years. Even though they are a river fish, paddlefish grow very well in lakes in the Midwest. This is because our lakes are rich in zooplankton, the main food source for paddlefish.

Paddlefish possess many unique features that make this type of aquaculture possible. They are not interested in anything on a hook, so they will not accidentally be caught or interfere with sports fishing. They will not reproduce in a lake environment, so you never have to worry about multiple age classes in the same lake. Our Paddlefish forage for food and swim for the next ten years until they are ready to harvest.We use very specific collection gear to catch our paddlefish. The large mesh size ensures that smaller fish can swim through. Live paddlefish are transported to the processing room. We use a proprietary blend of Jurassic Period salts, often matching a salt to the subtle differences between one lake and the next. These beautiful eggs, ranging from light to dark gray and sometimes with a green tint, become Big Fish Farms caviar.

See Our Products
Woman holding a catfish while kneeling in shallow water, surrounded by greenery and a clear blue sky, showcasing a successful fishing experience.
Diver in wetsuit pulling a fish from the water, with a fishing net in the background and a clipboard on the shore, indicating an active fishing or research operation.
Woman in outdoor gear proudly holding a large fish, possibly a sturgeon, while standing on a boat dock. The background features trees and cloudy skies, indicating a fishing expedition.
Two women conduct research on a fish by a body of water, one measuring or taking a sample from the fish while the other observes. The scene highlights wildlife conservation efforts and field research techniques.
Man holding a large catfish near a pond, wearing fishing gear and gloves, surrounded by a natural landscape with trees and grass.
Two men at a riverbank are using nets to catch fish, with orange baskets nearby for storage. The scene captures their focused effort in a natural setting, highlighting fishing techniques and teamwork.
Person in a green jacket holding a large catfish at a fish farm, with a background of a greenhouse and cloudy sky. The scene depicts fish farming practices and sustainable aquaculture.
A person in waterproof gear sits on a boat deck, carefully measuring a shark caught during fishing. The scene showcases marine research and conservation efforts in a natural water setting.
Two researchers in waders examine a fish caught in a bright orange net while standing in shallow water, surrounded by a fishing net and a natural water environment.