Sam Stukel Photography

An angler reels in a salmon in Alaska's Inside Passage.

Silver carp are one of three species of "Asian carp" that have invaded South Dakota rivers. As bad as they are environmentally, they are still a lot of fun to photograph.

Missouri River, June 2015

One of my favorite species. This ancient fish is armored from head to tail; a clue about the era in which it developed. Today it is a top-level predator.

This photo came about when a rare opportunity arose. The small fish are young pallid sturgeon, produced by Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery that are about to be released in the Missouri River. The large fish is a wild adult, captured from the river a short time before the picture was taken. I put the two in the same tank for a moment to capture this multi-generational photo.

This species is still relatively common in the Missouri/Mississippi River drainages.