In late September, Dave Wedan, La Crosse Fishery Resource Office, with assistance from Bob Hiltner and Jay Ciucci, both from the Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, set fyke nets in Clifford Lake, initiating the 2006 walleye harvest and stocking effort. 

Each spring, Genoa National Fish Hatcher staff release newly hatched walleye fry into Clifford Lake, a shallow freeze-out lake on Rydell NWR. After a summer of growth, these young of the year walleyes are netted, transported, and stocked in Tribal, Federal, and State waters. The continued rearing success at Rydell has made it Region 3 fisheries premier source of walleye fingerlings for stocking Minnesota Tribal and State waters. 

The 2006 harvest totaled 50,594 walleyes that were 5-8 inches.  After the harvest, these walleyes were transported to stocking sites by Genoa NFH's Dan Kumlin, White Earth Tribal Biologist Randy Zortman and crew, and Minnesota DNR's Gary Huberty and crew.