Walleye fingerlings being released in Lake Shawano (Photo: WDNR)
The DNR hopes to find out why bass are out-competing walleye on many Wisconsin lakes. Department of Natural Resources fisheries research scientist Gretchen Hansen said that during the past 25 years, they’ve noticed a shift in lakes that have traditionally been dominated by walleye.
“If we see increasing large mouth bass and decreasing walleye like we do in much of northern Wisconson, does that mean there’s a direct effect going on between the two of them, or are they both just responding to some other environmental variable?
The DNR has changed regulations to be more restrictive on walleye harvests, while stocking large fingerling walleye and liberalizing harvets on bass to see if the trends can be reversed. Researchers will survey the lakes in the test annually to see whether the new regulations are working. The study is expected to continue for the next five to 10 years.