Frank Stone is into the third of an eight-week project assisting the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission in determining recruitment levels of juvenile walleye. 

The objectives of the surveys are to estimate relative abundance of young-of-the-year walleye in several lakes of northern Wisconsin and Michigan.  Data from these surveys will be used in conjunction with spring population estimates, to set walleye safe harvest levels for the 2007 tribal spearing season.  During the length of the project, Stone will have conducted fishery surveys on a total of 27 lakes.

These sampling efforts take place at night, when walleye activity is the highest and catch efficiency is maximized.  Using a boat electrofishing system, fish collection is relatively fast and efficient.  Both length data and scale samples are collected. 

The data reflects the lakes recruitment values and are combined with the spring population surveys to yield information needed to help determine the number of adult walleye that can be safely harvested.