Walleye Stocking Status

Here is an update on the walleye stocking plan for 2020. The DNR has authorized a "final" stocking of walleyes as part of our walleye recovery plan. They approved a stocking of 250 seven inch fingerlings in October and asked that we hold on further future stockings until we see what success we have had with the recent efforts.

I found and reserved 250 upper Mississippi River strain walleyes from the Central Wisconsin Hatchery but was disappointed that they would not deliver them - we had to pick them up in bags from their Steven's Point hatchery. This is far from ideal. I have continued to search for this strain of walleye and I did find some at the Silver Moon Springs hatchery in Antigo. We bought walleyes from this hatchery 6 years ago when we did our first stocking. 

Silver Moon Hatchery will deliver fish to our lake this October but the fish they have are left over stock from the 2019 stocking season. These fish are now 10 - 11 inches long and approaching adult size. They do not have any seven inch fish of the required strain this year. The cost for these larger fish is $3.25 per fish versus $2.00 for the seven inch fingerlings from Central Wisconsin Hatchery. Unfortunately, he is not willing to commit to us yet because he is offering these fish to his customers that bought from him in 2019 - we didn't. He has 20,000 of these larger fish available so there is a chance we could get 250.

I spoke with the Fisheries Biologist from the DNR that we work with and asked his perspectives. He said he was a bit concerned about transferring fish in bags to our lake from Steven's Point but this has been done in the past. The concern is survival in transport. He thinks getting the larger fish delivered from Silver Moon Hatchery is a better option and he thinks we will see better long term survival from the larger, older fish. But he recognizes we aren't guaranteed to get them. He is fine with either option. 

Here are my recommendations:

1) We continue to hold our reservation at Central Wisconsin for now and cancel later when we know the availability of the fish from Silver Moon. I suggest we keep this reservation because Central Wisconsin may find a way to deliver the fish rather than make us pick them up. 

2) I will continue to stay in touch with Tim Wink from Silver Moon and will reserve 250 of the larger fish if and when they become available. When they do I will cancel the Central Wisconsin reservation. 

3) If Silver Moon doesn't come through for us and Central Wisconsin still requires us to pick the fish up, I suggest we hold on stocking this year and try again in 2021. The Biologist agreed that this was a good plan. 

4) I realize the cost is significantly higher for the larger fish but I am personally willing to pick up any costs not covered by donations because I believe the better survival of the larger fish will cover some of the cost. 

This is a bit of a complicated plan but I believe it can work and we can complete our stocking plan. I am asking anyone who wishes to donate to the walleye stocking to send a check to FOFL, P.O. Box 572, Eagle River, WI 54521 as soon as possible. Donate whatever amount you wish - past donations have been $50.00 per resident, but please send whatever works for you.