Walleye populations in lakes with marginal walleye habitat are sustained through stocking and therefore have lower densities. To estimate how many young walleyes hatched in the spring survive to the fall, DNR fisheries biologists and technicians electrofish the entire shoreline of each of more than 100 lakes. The resulting numbers provide an index of the abundance and survival of the current year class of walleyes. Sporadic recruitment is characteristic of walleye populations both within and among individual lakes. Generally, successful recruitment occurs in a given lake every 3 or 4 years.
Sporadic recruitment appears to reduce competition between year classes of walleye.
Therefore, lack of recruitment in a given lake for one or more years is a natural and expected occurrence and is generally not a cause for concern. The third survey method, creel surveys, involves onsite interviews with anglers on more than 20 lakes. Anglers are asked about what they caught, what they were fishing for, and how long they were fishing. Creel surveys from March 1999 through May 2000 demonstrated that fishing for walleye and other gamefish species in northern Wisconsin remains good. All Copy must be PC format and may include photos.