Northern Michigan’s Inland Waterway Survey Provides Insight on Walleye – with Help from Anglers
Published: Sunday, June 3, 2012 7:00 am
By: Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Department of Natural Resources is in the middle of the second year of a three-year tag-and-recapture study on the walleye population in the inland waterway in Northern Michigan. Researchers now need help from anglers to move the study forward.
The tag-and-recapture study consists of jaw tagging walleye to determine movement and seasonal distribution of the species in the inland waterway, which consists of Burt, Crooked, Mullet and Pickerel lakes and the Black, Cheboygan, Crooked, Indian, Maple, Pigeon and Sturgeon rivers.
In addition to the tag-and-recapture study, Michigan State University is also evaluating larval walleye distribution, the forage community of the waterway and walleye diets.
Angler participation is a critical component of the diet analysis. Anglers who catch tagged walleye in the inland waterway are asked to provide to the DNR the tag information on the fish, as well as the stomachs from any fish harvested. If an angler catches a walleye, he or she should simply freeze the fish’s internal organs in a bag marked with the date and the approximate depth at which the fish was caught, and bring it to the nearest DNR service center.
“Tag and stomach returns are so critical to the success of this study,” said Patrick Hanchin, DNR fisheries biologist. “We appreciate any angler participation we can get because it provides us with a better understanding of this particular species.”
For detailed instructions on both of these activities, visit www.michigan.gov/taggedfish.
There is a new element to the inland waterway walleye survey this year – an acoustic telemetry study on the species in the lower Black and Cheboygan rivers. Ten males and 10 females have been implanted with acoustic transmitters to allow their movements to be tracked with passive receivers stationed throughout the river system, as well as through active tracking from a boat.
This portion of the study helps to determine the extent of walleye movement between the Black and Cheboygan rivers and Mullett Lake, as well as possibly Lake Huron.
The project is a cooperative effort between the DNR, Michigan State University and the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.
For more information on walleye in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
