This improvised fry trap will help biologists monitor the progress of the the egg baskets. - USFWS photo

Staff members from the Ashland Fishery Resources Office, the Iron River National Fish Hatchery, and the Wisconsin DNR, along with volunteers from the local Wild Rivers Trout Unlimited Chapter have been monitored egg boxes in Whittlesey and North Fork Whittlesey Creek. 

During weekly trips to the creeks, egg boxes were monitored for sand deposition and repositioned if needed, and egg trays were checked to monitor egg development and hatch.  Environmental conditions in the stream were also monitored with water temperature and water velocities being measured.  Two laundry baskets lined with screen were installed around two egg boxes to prove that fry are able to emerge from the boxes.  Substrate (gravel) was added to give the fry that do emerge some cover to hide in.  The eggs in these boxes are projected to hatch sometime mid-march.  Once it is established that fry have successfully emerged, the baskets will be removed to allow fry that emerge access to the stream.  To determine success of our efforts, assessments during the fall will give information to the contribution of stocked fish that came from our egg stocking.

The local television station TrueNorth TV came along Feb. 27, and filmed our activities for a program that they will broadcast sometime in late March.  We were able to show them some newly hatched fry and did a stream side interview that will provide the public with more information on our efforts to restore coaster brook trout to the stream. 

See January Journal Entry "Egg Stocking in Whittlesey Creek and North Fork Whittlesey Creeks, January 2006" for more information on this project.