Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a threatened and culturally significant species native to the Great Lakes. Habitat suitability indices (HSIs) are often utilized in reintroduction efforts to determine a species habitat requisites. However, current indices of age-0 lake sturgeon habitat use deviate from some field observations leading to questions on index validity. To aid in validating current HSIs, we assessed instream habitat on the Muskegon and Manistee rivers to model suitable habitat for age-0 lake sturgeon. Stream substrate was mapped using recreational grade side-scan SONAR, and bathymetry data were collected using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. These data will be used to develop flow models and create HSIs using published metrics (i.e. substrate, depth, and water velocity). To validate HSIs, spotlight surveys were coupled with radio telemetry to provide estimates of habitat selection. This coupled approach will help to build upon and validate existing models. In the summer of 2025, we collected age-0 lake sturgeon via nighttime spotlight surveys on the Muskegon River. Water depths, velocities, and substrate data were measured at each collection site and adjacent areas to quantify habitat at occupation sites. We implanted a subset of 31 fish with radio tags to track habitat use across a broad temporal scale with relocation efforts occurring throughout the fall. Fish occupied similar habitats irrespective of observation method. Fish captured during spotlight surveys were found at moderate depths (mean, 1.01 m), moderate water velocities (0.33 m/s), and soft substrates (92.3% of occurrences). Tagged individuals similarly occupied moderate depths and water velocities (mean, 0.97 m and 0.35 m/s, respectively) and soft substrates (98.7% of occurrences). While the habitats used were within the bounds of suitable habitat designated by current HSIs, fish primarily selected for soft substrates, suggesting that current HSIs may be too broad.