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BIOLOGISTS TO SAMPLE LAKE ERIE WALLEYE DURING SPRING SPAWNING RUN Anglers and boaters asked to avoid nets and buoys involved with research
project COLUMBUS, OH - Fisheries biologists studying the reproductive success of
Lake Erie walleye will sample fish at various spawning areas this spring,
according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of
Wildlife.
Scientists from ODNR and The Ohio State University (OSU) are conducting the
long-term research project, examining how the physical attributes of adult
walleye influence egg production, egg quality and hatching success across
the various spawning stocks of walleye in the lake.
"This research gives us a unique opportunity to see whether certain stocks
of walleye contribute more to the lakewide walleye population than others,
based upon egg quality or hatching success," said Roger Knight, Lake Erie
fisheries program administrator for ODNR. "Ultimately, this research will
provide important information for the management of different walleye stocks
in Lake Erie."
Biologists will be sampling walleye at various locations in March and April,
including the Sandusky and Maumee rivers and open-lake reef complex in the
Western Basin. Spawning walleye will be collected during this time period
for the next several years as part of the project.
Open lake anglers may encounter net buoys or biologists lifting nets in the
reef complex during the spring. Recreational boaters and anglers alike are
encouraged to keep a safe distance from this equipment and from the research
vessel. Anglers may also see Division of Wildlife biologists and OSU
personnel working the Sandusky and Maumee rivers or at local boat ramps
around the lake during the same time period.
Source: ODNR
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