USFWS photo. Rydell NWR walleye harvest. Oct, 2008.

Clifford Lake at Rydell National Wildlife Refuge provided another successful walleye fingerling year-class for US Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota DNR fisheries crews, yielding 53,882 fish for stocking in Tribal and State-managed lakes!

The annual Clifford Lake walleye rearing program at Rydell NWR is a shining example of success achieved through inter-agency cooperation. Minnesota State DNR hatchery personnel provide newly-hatched walleye fry each spring for Genoa National Fish Hatchery crews to stock in one of the ideal natural rearing lakes at Rydell. These fry grow naturally in Clifford Lake, and, before they are netted and relocated to other Federal, State, and Tribal waters in October, are checked and certified "clean", (virus, disease, pathogen free), by the USFWS Regional Fish Health Center located in LaCrosse, WI.

The October, 2008, a USFWS fyke netting and distribution effort filled Red Lake and White Earth Tribal stocking requests, and was conducted by a crew consisting of Dan Kumlin and Jeff Lockington from Genoa National Fish Hatchery, and Dave Wedan from LaCrosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (NFWCO). Much appreciated and critical support and assistance was provided by Rydell National Wildlife Refuge Manager Dave Bennett, and staff members Bob Hiltner, Juancarlos Giese, Pat Wagner, Jay Ciucci, and Rydell "friends-volunteers" Skip Morris and Doug Bratrud. Biological Technician Kristin Fritz from Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge also assisted the netting and distribution crews, gaining valuable fisheries experience.The complete FWS harvest netted a total of 36,100 fingerling walleye,

Minnesota DNR fishery crews continued netting, and successfully stocked another 17,782 walleyes into state-managed lakes, one of which, Maple Lake, is located adjacent Rydell NWR, and is popular with local fishermen.

Thanks to all who contibuted to the success of the Rydell NWR walleye rearing and distribution program in 2008!