MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Midwest => Indiana => Topic started by: taxid on Dec 01, 2021, 05:51 PM
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Almost 43,000 fall fingerling walleyes were stocked at eight locations in northern Indiana in early October. An additional 26,738 fall fingerlings were stocked at five more locations in late October to mid-November.
The fish stocked in the second round were grown at Fawn River State Fish Hatchery to supplement the earlier stockings that were purchased from a private commercial fish supplier. The stocked walleye are primarily 5- to-7-inch fingerlings. A few fish are larger. They will typically reach 14 inches after two years of growth and 16 inches by age 3.
The target stocking rate for these larger fall walleye fingerlings is 10 fish per acre, a figure DNR fisheries biologists say provides the best balance for fishing potential, growth, and fisheries balance.
Lakes and (county) stocked include:
Bass Lake (Starke)
Crooked Lake (Steuben)
Clear Lake (Steuben)
George (Steuben)
Pine/Stone Lakes (LaPorte)
Pretty Lake (LaGrange)
St. Joseph River (St. Joseph)
Sylvan Lake (Noble)
Shriner Lake (Whitley)
Wall Lake (LaGrange)
Winona Lake (Kosciusko)
Wolf Lake (Lake)
Most of these locations are stocked with fall fingerlings each year to sustain the walleye population. A few locations are stocked on alternate years to improve walleye fishing in additional areas. The lakes are continually evaluated by biologists for fish survival and angling use.
Multiple other lakes are stocked with walleyes by privately funded lake associations. A stocking permit that is evaluated and approved by the local DNR fisheries biologist is needed before any stocking can take place.
https://events.in.gov/event/walleye_stocked_in_northern_indiana?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=State+of+Indiana&fbclid=IwAR0cRDlgSwCry8dabTKi2hqZfTRXf73fpZGRd30D8LLnAdIbSD91XoK1SOU
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Thanks Cecil, now I still have to do is find them at Bass. They have been hiding pretty good the past few years.
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is this something different?
I don't think so. But thought some might be interested in it. I get updates from INDNR on Facebook.
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I thought they had quit stocking in bass because they weren't growing. That's why it had a lower size limit. Seems like a waste
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I thought they had quit stocking in bass because they weren't growing. That's why it had a lower size limit. Seems like a waste
No idea. Maybe there was pressure to continue it? You can contact your district biologist and ask.
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Thanks Taxid for the info. I hope our DNR continues to try and provide fishing opportunities but I sure don't agree with the plantings or the size limits. Why st Joe and not the Wabash. Are the cost shared with MI for that planting. The Wabash provides opportunities for our entire state and a bunch of tributaries.
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https://michianaoutdoorsnews.com/columnists/louie-s-column/2317-bass-lake-remains-one-of-indiana-s-biggest-mysteries
Not sure how to make a link but this article from 2019 said they suspended walleye stocking in 2018. Must have found a reason to start again.
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Thinking what if's. What if the state would go back to allowing the property managers of the upper resi's to continue with the on site hatchery plan they used to do and plant the fish into the resi to grow even more before being flushed into the Wabash during the fall draw down were it would seed the entire state. 20 inch fish were so common 15 yrs ago you never thought twice about them. 25 plus inch fish not unusual at all. Some many places to choose for fishing from below the dams to the Ohio. Instead we plant fish in small bodies of water were they either cant or don't get a chance to grow.
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Makes sense bigr,
Where I go in Iron County in UP they had a really good walleye stocking program from 1983 until 2003. Majority of fish came out of Little Bay De Noc. DNR was stocking 48 lakes in Iron County. Once they took hold in the lake I fish it was great!!! They wouldn't reproduce naturally in this chain as there wasn't enough flow or wave action. On any given year they would stock from a low number of 40, 6 inchers to 1,862, to a high of 12,886 - 2.56 inchers.Some years in the spring and the fall. In the 20 years they stocked Fortune Lakes the state planted approximately 139,000 fish. Survival rate is 1-10 %, which would calculate out to 13,900 fish. We didn't catch limits but we caught 3-5 a night. Fish were really healthy. 2- 5 lbs. There were a few 7 pounders caught. They got a disease in the Bay in 2004 plus that's when DNR had their budgets cut so they stopped stocking. They now started stocking again but only 8 lakes in Iron County are receiving fish. I caught my last walleye 5 years ago.
The "LADY" ???? that is now the fish biologist told me, "Walleyes just didn't do well in Fortune Lakes plus they hurt the bass population so I am no longer going to stock walleyes in Fortune Lakes." @#$#!*&$!! What a Crock!!!!!!
So she planted Rainbows, which to date none have been caught!!!
Teach
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Makes sense bigr,
Where I go in Iron County in UP they had a really good walleye stocking program from 1983 until 2003. Majority of fish came out of Little Bay De Noc. DNR was stocking 48 lakes in Iron County. Once they took hold in the lake I fish it was great!!! They wouldn't reproduce naturally in this chain as there wasn't enough flow or wave action. On any given year they would stock from a low number of 40, 6 inchers to 1,862, to a high of 12,886 - 2.56 inchers.Some years in the spring and the fall. In the 20 years they stocked Fortune Lakes the state planted approximately 139,000 fish. Survival rate is 1-10 %, which would calculate out to 13,900 fish. We didn't catch limits but we caught 3-5 a night. Fish were really healthy. 2- 5 lbs. There were a few 7 pounders caught. They got a disease in the Bay in 2004 plus that's when DNR had their budgets cut so they stopped stocking. They now started stocking again but only 8 lakes in Iron County are receiving fish. I caught my last walleye 5 years ago.
The "LADY" ???? that is now the fish biologist told me, "Walleyes just didn't do well in Fortune Lakes plus they hurt the bass population so I am no longer going to stock walleyes in Fortune Lakes." @#$#!*&$!! What a Crock!!!!!!
So she planted Rainbows, which to date none have been caught!!!
Teach
I had a little spat with a biologist regarding Fortune Lakes too. This was a few decades ago but was told by him the Indiana anglers were wiping out the bluegills in that chain of lakes as they did't get many in their last survey. The survery was done in August and as far as I could tell the biologist only did any electroshocking survery based on the survey report he sent. In August the bluegils are suspended in 20 to 25 feet of water and electroshocking doesn't go that deep. Even if they had done gill nets they probaby wouldn't have gotten a fair representation as gill nets don't work well in ultra clear water. There was also no mention of smallmouth bass in the survey, but we caught and released quite a few 12 inch smallmouth while fishing for bluegills -- so much so they were annoying.
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Taxid, I've been going up there for 40 years, always the first two weeks of July and the 2nd week of September for a week.
During that time I have seen 3 periods when the big female bluegills seemed to disappear. Normally in July the second spawn or for some the first, takes place during those two weeks. The big females will stage in 16' to 20' of water opposite where the beds are. The last 3 years and twice before they just seem to disappear for a year or two? But then they come back.
There is a good population of largemouth and smallmouth. During those years you mentioned about Indiana fishermen hurting the bluegills is true. Resort owner told me of Indiana boys coming up with huge cricket cages and hammering the big gills in June. He had to warn them of over harvesting and breaking the law. That would have been in the early '80's.
Teach
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Taxid, I've been going up there for 40 years, always the first two weeks of July and the 2nd week of September for a week.
During that time I have seen 3 periods when the big female bluegills seemed to disappear. Normally in July the second spawn or for some the first, takes place during those two weeks. The big females will stage in 16' to 20' of water opposite where the beds are. The last 3 years and twice before they just seem to disappear for a year or two? But then they come back.
There is a good population of largemouth and smallmouth. During those years you mentioned about Indiana fishermen hurting the bluegills is true. Resort owner told me of Indiana boys coming up with huge cricket cages and hammering the big gills in June. He had to warn them of over harvesting and breaking the law. That would have been in the early '80's.
Teach
Seems to me if there was a problem with overharvesting LEO's should have cracked down. Where were they? It's not like they don't have a limit up there. At least they do vs. Indiana that has no limit.
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Past owner of resort use to call the DNR, The Do Nothing Right Boys! ;D
One year they put some gill nets out in 6-8 feet of water along the banks. When Resort Owner asked them what they were doing they informed him they were going to check the walleye population! ? He argued they wouldn't get good results in such shallow water. So the next spring right at ice out, the Owner called DNR and told them to meet him at the small bridge between Lake One and Lake Two at 7:00pm. There is a slow flow of water between the two lakes. When DNR arrived he shined his light under the bridge where water is about 2 feet deep. There was a school of about 20 , 2lb walleyes finning in the light current. After a while they moved into the Second Lake and about 30, 3lb walleyes moved under the bridge. This took place for as long as they stood there. The DNR Boys were shocked!
Tells you something!!
Teach
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Past owner of resort use to call the DNR, The Do Nothing Right Boys! ;D
One year they put some gill nets out in 6-8 feet of water along the banks. When Resort Owner asked them what they were doing they informed him they were going to check the walleye population! ? He argued they wouldn't get good results in such shallow water. So the next spring right at ice out, the Owner called DNR and told them to meet him at the small bridge between Lake One and Lake Two at 7:00pm. There is a slow flow of water between the two lakes. When DNR arrived he shined his light under the bridge where water is about 2 feet deep. There was a school of about 20 , 2lb walleyes finning in the light current. After a while they moved into the Second Lake and about 30, 3lb walleyes moved under the bridge. This took place for as long as they stood there. The DNR Boys were shocked!
Tells you something!!
Teach
I'm not knocking on biologists as there are many that know what they're doing and I respect a lot. Apparently there are a few that don't. There has been a proliferation of candidates for those slots in the last couple of decades that don't even fish. That may explain part of the problem?
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Past owner of resort use to call the DNR, The Do Nothing Right Boys! ;D
One year they put some gill nets out in 6-8 feet of water along the banks. When Resort Owner asked them what they were doing they informed him they were going to check the walleye population! ? He argued they wouldn't get good results in such shallow water. So the next spring right at ice out, the Owner called DNR and told them to meet him at the small bridge between Lake One and Lake Two at 7:00pm. There is a slow flow of water between the two lakes. When DNR arrived he shined his light under the bridge where water is about 2 feet deep. There was a school of about 20 , 2lb walleyes finning in the light current. After a while they moved into the Second Lake and about 30, 3lb walleyes moved under the bridge. This took place for as long as they stood there. The DNR Boys were shocked!
Tells you something!!
Teach
I'm guessing that Resort owner would have been Sam. He sure was a good walleye fisherman, from what I remember.
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I'm guessing that Resort owner would have been Sam. He sure was a good walleye fisherman, from what I remember.
Did any of you guys fish the pond to the north above the beaver dam that wasn't far from the housing? My dad, my sister and I carried a boat upstream above the dam to the pond, and anchored over the deepest water in the center of the pond and slammed the bluegills.
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Did any of you guys fish the pond to the north above the beaver dam that wasn't far from the housing? My dad, my sister and I carried a boat upstream above the dam to the pond, and anchored over the deepest water in the center of the pond and slammed the bluegills.
Nope, never did that. I was only there 3 times. Twice around Labor day and once in the spring when they first opened up.
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Yes, it was Sam! When he first bought resort he fished from a canoe. First year I was there I caught a ton of bass on surface, Hotntot and spinners. He asked me the day I was leaving what I was using for bait. I tossed him a pastic bag full of spinners, both double and single and told him to take a few and try them. Being Sam he replied, "Oh, no I couldn't do that!" I said, "Ok, go buy your own!" :laugh: The next summer he informed me, "Those spinners really work!" He was quite a guy. We fished together a lot at night and caught LOTS ! He learned those lakes well and taught me where to fish away from the bank! Great guy!
I never fished the beaver dam!
Teach
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I thought they had quit stocking in bass because they weren't growing. That's why it had a lower size limit. Seems like a waste
This is the first year Indiana’s hatcheries has reared and mass produced advanced walleye fingerlings.
To my knowledge, Bass always got stocked with fry sized fish. This is the first year Bass has been stocked with advanced walleye fingerlings! This lake could potentially be a great fishery for years to come……
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This is the first year Indiana’s hatcheries has reared and mass produced advanced walleye fingerlings.
To my knowledge, Bass always got stocked with fry sized fish. This is the first year Bass has been stocked with advanced walleye fingerlings! This lake could potentially be a great fishery for years to come……
Makes sense. Better survival planting larger walleye fingerlings.
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I spoke to the guy in charge of Bass Lake, think his name was Tom Bakula if memory serves me correctly. He told me they have been stocking fall fingerlings now for about 5 years. 2 years ago, they also put in many gills, to aid in the recovery of the lake. Think he is the marine biologist for that area. They did stock over a million fry in past years. Most got eaten or died. With the larger fish the mortality rate is much better.
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and the dnr has known that for decades. i cant believe they would still stock fry. where is a slap on the forehead emoji? lol
if its true they are now raising and releasing larger stockers then i would expect the eye fishing to see a boost in coming years.
stocking gills seems futile to me given their reproduction capabilities. has to be some reason they cant survive there? weed kills maybe? cant have both ways. lol
Haven't stocked fry ever since they finally realized fry was a waste. Still haven't been able to see any difference yet. Maybe a couple more years.
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and the dnr has known that for decades. i cant believe they would still stock fry. where is a slap on the forehead emoji? lol
if its true they are now raising and releasing larger stockers then i would expect the eye fishing to see a boost in coming years.
stocking gills seems futile to me given their reproduction capabilities. has to be some reason they cant survive there? weed kills maybe? cant have both ways. lol
Fry have historically done better in low visibility bodies of water across the state. Bass lake has had good years and bad years with survival based on a lot of factors. In the future, the state will continue these stocking efforts and raising survival %. With Bass being 1300 acres it’s a lot of fish to produce at 5-7 inches. I believe the state stocks at 10/per acre with advanced fingerlings.
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so what are the factors that lead to the gill die off? and the factors that wont let eyes grow? seems pointless to just keep try something that doesnt work.
Normally, walleye fry are stocked in middle of lake to avoid immediate predation from fish and they can still feed on zooplankton. However, weather plays a critical role in survival…..warmer than average weather puts stress on fish, strong winds blowing fry in shallower causing predation. Fry are really limited could be really good or really poor.
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so what are the factors that lead to the gill die off? and the factors that wont let eyes grow? seems pointless to just keep try something that doesnt work.
I don't think there was a gill die off. Thought they were added to do something with weeds? Or the creel findings were short on the gills? Can't remember the reasoning. I was told but forgot.
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Seems to me to biggest factor in fish numbers always went hand in hand with the weeds spraying. Many years ago the state never sprayed the entire lake and numbers of all species were much better. Is the lake still being sprayed down so no weeds can grow?
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i dont fish it, so i had to look from space. looks mostly void of weeds with clear water. if this is true, it would be futile to expect a good fish population. like i said before you cant have fish without cover. weeds are part of lakes. there is way too much spraying in this state. kinda explains what happened to the gills, if this is the case, dont it? yet they think just put more in? but im no biologist so its just my opinion.
dumping vast schools of fry in the middle of summer in middle of a lake makes me think one thing. those big gills out there sure had a feast. lol dont seem like they are thinking on it hard enough. :-\
it's anything but clear. Normally a mud pit with less than a foot of visibility