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Walleye Status in Lake Superior

Walleye Status in Lake Superior. Stephen T. Schram Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Lake Superior Fish Community Objectives. Maintain, enhance, and rehabilitate self-sustaining populations of walleye and their habitat over their historical range. Walleye Subcommittee.

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Walleye Status in Lake Superior

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  1. Walleye StatusinLake Superior Stephen T. Schram Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

  2. Lake Superior Fish Community Objectives Maintain, enhance, and rehabilitate self-sustaining populations of walleye and their habitat over their historical range.

  3. Walleye Subcommittee • Subcommittee formed - 1994 • Status Report - 1996 • Described historic and current status • Identified current spawning rivers • Rehabilitation Plan - 2001 • Objectives for rehabilitation • Issues and strategies • Routine assessment • Research and assessment needs

  4. Known Walleye Spawning Areas W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

  5. Historical Harvest

  6. Status in Michigan

  7. Lac La Belle Sturgeon River Huron Bay Ontonagon River

  8. Status • Ontonagon River • Self-sustaining population • Sporadic stocking • Spawning closure April 1-June 10 on the West Branch • Lac La Belle • Stocking every other year

  9. Status • Sturgeon River • Self-sustaining population • Alternate year stocking in Portage Lake • Huron Bay • Annual maintenance stocking • Assume natural reproduction but not documented

  10. Tahquamenon River Waishkey River

  11. Status • Tahquamenon River • Self-sustaining population • Alternate year stocking • 1000 fish tagged in 2001 • Waishkey River • Small population • Stocking in Brimley Bay

  12. Status in Wisconsin

  13. St. Louis River Bad River Amnicon River Kakagon

  14. Status • Bad River • Maintain/increase population size • Stock fry and fingerlings • Conduct fall survey • Kakagon Slough • Maintain/increase population size • Stock fry and fingerlings • Population estimate every 3 years • State fingerling stocking Chequamegon Bay • Bioenergetics study Chequamegon Bay

  15. Status • St Louis River (including Amnicon River) • Annually monitor population characteristics • Conservative angling regulations • Maintain high population size to buffer potential adverse impacts from invasive aquatic species • Consumption advisory

  16. Status in Ontario

  17. Black Sturgeon River Nipigon Bay Black Bay Current River Kaministiquia River Pine River Pigeon River

  18. Status • Pigeon River • Small self-sustaining population • Pine River • Small self-sustaining population • Kaministiquia River • River resident population

  19. Status • Current River • Self-sustaining population • Spawning reef created at river mouth • Black Bay • Limited adult transfer by sports club • Genetic study in progress • North end of bay has a 0 possession limit

  20. Current River Walleye Reef

  21. Status • Black Sturgeon River • Resident river population • Genetic study in progress • Nipigon Bay • Limited natural reproduction • 0 possession limit • Stocking experiment inconclusive • Resident population in tributaries

  22. Montreal River Batchawana Bay Goulais Bay

  23. Status • Goulais Bay • Population depressed • Spawn in Goulais River • Fry stocking failed • Restrictive angling regulations • Batchawana Bay • Population depressed • River spawners • Montreal River • Small spawning population

  24. Impediments to Rehabilitation • Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas

  25. Impediments to Rehabilitation • Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas • Degraded habitat caused by poor water quality, point and non-point discharge, hydro-electric dams

  26. Impediments to Rehabilitation • Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas • Degraded habitat caused by poor water quality, point and non-point discharge, hydro-electric dams • Spawning areas difficult to sample (e.g. Bad River, remote Ontario rivers)

  27. Impediments to Rehabilitation • Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas • Degraded habitat caused by poor water quality, point and non-point discharge, hydro-electric dams • Spawning areas difficult to sample (e.g. Bad River, remote Ontario rivers) • Slow growing, age structure skewed toward old fish, highly variable recruitment

  28. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies • Total annual mortality should not exceed 45%

  29. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies • Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% • Determine vital statistics of minor populations

  30. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies • Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% • Determine vital statistics of minor populations • Rehabilitate and /or create spawning habitat

  31. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies • Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% • Determine vital statistics of minor populations • Rehabilitate and /or create spawning habitat • Increase implementation of forestry and agricultural practices within watersheds

  32. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies • Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% • Determine vital statistics of minor populations • Rehabilitate and /or create spawning habitat • Increase implementation of forestry and agricultural practices within watersheds • Stocking should be done with fingerlings

  33. Acknowledgements • Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources • Jeff Black • Mike Friday • Mike Petzold • Michigan Department of Natural Resources • Vern Nurenberg • Jim Waybrant • Bad River Natural Resources Department • Rick Huber

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