On October 24th Brian Elkington and Joe McMullen from the Columbia National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (NFWCO), along with staff from DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Iowa Department of Natural Resources and two volunteers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln teamed up to electrofish DeSoto Lake in Missouri Valley, Iowa.  Sampling was completed as part of a long-term monitoring and management program started in the 1970’s.  The overnight sampling consisted of four 30 minute nighttime electrofishing runs targeting walleye and largemouth bass.  The largest fish caught was a bigmouth buffalo weighing 32 pounds!  Data collected that night will be analyzed and incorporated into the annual DeSoto Lake Management Plan.  Our team of inter-jurisdictional biologists uses this information to make management decisions to help improve DeSoto Lake recreational fishing.  The lake, and refuge around it, draws large numbers of visitors each year, estimated at upwards of 26,000.  Recreational fishing is an important part of DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge.  With our continued work we hope to maintain and continue to improve recreational fishing opportunities at DeSoto Lake.