Walleye Spawning Stock Assessment Update
Hello Winnebago Fish Enthusiasts,
The 2016 walleye run is now upon us and DNR fisheries staff, as well as a
host of volunteers, have been busy tagging walleye during the adult spawning
stock assessment. As of today, 3,403 male and 1,284 female walleye have
been tagged on the Wolf River, with the majority of tagging taking place
last week Monday (March 28th) through Friday (April 1st). High water levels
allowed access to many of the spawning marshes throughout the river and
walleye were sampled from 18 different locations stretching from Weyauwega
to Hwy CCC, just south of Shawano. High water levels continue to be the
main story among anglers. As stated in the previous email update, the peak
discharge (9,000 cfs) observed on the New London gauge was the highest
discharge observed during the month of March since 1986. However, it should
be noted that river discharge dropped considerably during late March,
decreasing to 4,670 cfs. The drop in water levels heading into April had
many walleye enthusiasts concerned that decreasing water levels could reduce
flow in some walleye spawning marshes and create less suitable conditions
for eggs to hatch and fry to successfully flush out of the marshes.
Luckily, recent rain and snow events have since caused an increase in water
levels and it appears that the hydrograph is still headed back in the right
direction.
Each year, DNR staff aim to tag 3,000-5,000 walleye on the Wolf River and
tagging efforts conducted last week have brought the 2016 total to 4,687
fish tagged. The condition (green, ripe, spent) of each female walleye
sampled is also noted throughout the survey to provide some guidance on what
stage the spawn is in. Sampling that was conducted on Friday (April 1st)
indicated that 71% of females handled were green and 29% were either ripe or
spent indicating that the walleye spawn was progressing. Considering we
have hit our target numbers for number of walleye tagged and the presence of
ripe and spent females during last Fridays sampling, DNR tagging efforts
will be winding down on the Wolf and upper Fox Rivers this week. Instead,
tagging efforts will now focus on tagging immature female walleye on Lake
Winnebago. Good luck fishing and remember if you happen to catch a tagged
walleye or yellow perch please mail them to the Oshkosh DNR office (625 E.
County Road Y, Oshkosh WI 54901), email them to
DNRWINNEBAGOSYSTEMTAGRETURNS@wisconsin.gov<mailto:DNRWINNEBAGOSYSTEMTAGRETUR
NS@wisconsin.gov>, or call 920-303-5429.
We are committed to service excellence.
Visit our survey at http://dnr.wi.gov/customersurvey to evaluate how I did.
Adam D. Nickel
Senior Fisheries Biologist - Bureau of Fisheries Management Calumet and
eastern Outagamie Counties / Winnebago System Gamefish (excluding sturgeon)
Biologist Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
625 E County Road Y, Suite 700
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920) 424-3059
Fax: (920) 424-4404
adam.nickel@wisconsin.gov