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Handbook Addition | Ten Mile Walleyes
AN ADDITION TO THE TMLA HANDBOOK
Included in
the mailing with this Newsletter, you will find materials prepared by the
Fisheries Commit-tee for inclusion in your TMLA Handbook. The materials
include rules and regulations, a history of stocking of fish in the lake,
recommendations on tackle, a fishing log to use every time you go fishing, and
other useful information for fishermen. Be sure to put this material in your
Handbook (the one you received at the the Annual Meeting in 2001). If you
don’t have a Handbook, call Gail Becher at 675-3214, and make
arrangements to get a copy.
A REPORT ON THE FISHHEAD STUDY:
WHERE DO THE WALLEYES IN TEN MILE LAKE COME FROM?
By Chris Vandergoot, Fisheries Specialist
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fisheries
In
1945 the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR), Division of
Fisheries began stocking juvenile walleye in Ten Mile Lake to enhance the
population. Since 1980 more than
500,000 walleye have been stocked into the lake but the contribution of stocked
fish to the fishery has never been thoroughly evaluated.
Prior to stocking, fisheries biologists with the MN DNR tagged 9,675
juvenile walleyes with metal tags in the fall of 1998.
Stocking contribution was assessed with angler-caught fish during the
2001 open-water fishing season. Anglers
fishing Ten Mile Lake were encouraged to drop-off the heads from harvested
walleye at Quiet Woods and Happiness Resorts.
Association members also delivered walleye heads to the DNR office.
The fish were aged and examined for the presence of a tag.
Of
the 274 walleye caught from the 1998 year-class (the year that a fish is born)
50% were stocked fish, indicating that natural reproduction occurs in Ten Mile
Lake. Additional evidence indicating
that natural reproduction occurs on Ten Mile Lake was the presence of numerous
fish harvested by anglers from non-stocked year-classes (Figure 1).
Tagging juvenile walleye stocked in 1998 provided the MN DNR with a lot
of valuable information. The results
of this study indicate that stocked fish as well as naturally reproduced walleye
were an important component of the angler harvest in Ten Mile Lake.
Because 1998 was the first year the DNR stocked marked fish we are unable
to fully understand the extent of natural reproduction in Ten Mile Lake.
If you have any additional question about this project or other fisheries
management issues please feel free to contact the
