Steve Van Riper, Desoto NWR refuge operations specialist, holds a walleye captured during October shocking. - FWS photo

Cliff Wilson, Steve Van Riper, Brian Elkington hold several bigmouth buffalo captured while shocking for walleye at DeSoto Lake in October.

In cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, DeSoto Lake was sampled the nights of October 10^th and 19^th, 2006 by Fishery Biologists Jennifer Johnson and Cliff Wilson and Biological Science Technicians Brian Elkington and Derek Eisenbrei of the Columbia FRO. Refuge Operations Specialist, Steve Van Riper from DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge also assisted with night electofishing. In April 2006 approximately 400,000 walleye fry were stocked into DeSoto Lake with an additional 3,400 8 to14 inch fingerling walleye stocked in October 2006 and 2,571 largemouth bass. Night electrofishing was used to obtain an estimate of survival for these stocked fish. Preliminary results indicate high survival of stocked walleye. Several large bigmouth buffalo were also captured.