Walleye surveys were conducted by (left to right): Casey Bigboy, Frank Stone and Mitch Soulier. - USFWS photo

The Ashland Fishery Resources Office assisted the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission this spring with several walleye population surveys.  The objective of this project was to estimate spawning populations of adult walleye and to collect fish for mercury testing from several lakes in northern Wisconsin. 

Walleye population estimates are used to set safe harvest levels, on which tribal harvest quotas are based.  This year's assessment activity was assigned to Frank Stone who conducted electrofishing surveys on five lakes over an 11 night period.  The sampling effort is conducted at night because this is when spawning activity and opportunities to collect walleye are maximized.  Normally 1-3 nights of fish collection are needed on each lake to obtain sufficient data.