Walleyes For Tomorrow Local Chapter

by Tom Kramer, Headwaters Basin Chapter WFT

Walleyes for Tomorrow had our Walleye Wagon (Potable fish hatchery) on Alder Lake this year and released walleye fry into the lake. The DNR gave us permission to put it on Alder Lake because it is not currently a natural reproduction body of water and its walleye population has been declining for the last 5 years. I am asking that those who fish on Alder, to catch and release any walleyes to help the walleye reproduction get back to what it once was.

We net spawning walleyes and collect the eggs and milt to hatch in the portable hatchery. When the eggs hatch and the fry start to swim, we release the fry into the lake. The fry are released in the deeper part of the lake to feed on zooplankton until they are large enough to live in shallower water. When we release them in the middle of the lake, they have a better survival rate than when they swim out naturally because other fish can feed on them.

Walleyes for Tomorrow has portable hatcheries on lakes all over the state of Wisconsin and has had very good success with them, especially at Big Green Lake west of Fond Du Lac. The walleye population has increased considerably due to the hatchery being on it.

Effective May 2 2020, the Department of Natural Resources issued a change in walleye fishing regulations for the Manitowish Chain. The new regulation is that only walleye 15-20 inches may be kept, except one walleye may be larger than 24 inches. The daily bag limit for the entire Chain will be three fish. You can access the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations 2020-21 pamphlet by clicking this link https://dnr.wi.gov/files/pdf/pubs/fh/fh0301.pdf Thank you to everyone who supports Walleyes for Tomorrow, and please use nonlead tackle when you go fishing.