Walleye gill net study

The DNR uses gill nets to study walleye! December 16, 2009 Reporter: Patrick McMurtry Videographer: Brad Rice

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The quest to keep fish populations healthy in West Virginia waters is ongoing, and some ways are more labor intensive than others. This particular walleye study is utilizing gill nets to find out how the stocking program is working. Zack Brown, a fisheries biologist with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, says his agency is trying several approaches.

"East Lynn Lake is one of our study areas where we study our walleye fingerlings and we're coming back to evaluate if our densities are increasing or decreasing the population of walleye in the lake, trying to see what works best to use our resources."

And for this study, gill nets work best because they can bring in different size fish in different areas.
That's a nice fish and is exactly what Zack and his crew were looking for, healthy saugeye and walleye.

"The stockings have been successful in creating at least low level walleye populations. As we go along, we'll be able to tease out more data and see if these stockings are working or go back to the drawing board and stock at a higher rate and see if that will bump up populations." says Brown.

It will take a little while to crunch the numbers, but for now the stockings will continue. This study is actually using several different lakes with decidedly different ecosystems and different management plans. Brown explains,

"The stocking rate varies every year. For three years, we stocked a different density, 40-60 fish per acre. We randomize that. We're using Summersville as a control because it has a naturally reproducing walleye population."

In the lakes that don't, the DNR will continue working to find ways to maximize their stocking efforts, which in turn, will maximize your fun while fishing for walleye.

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