This is a little update to my post about the recent stocking of Leech Lake strain musky fingerlings in Lake Wissota.
I just had a chance to review the 2005 WI Musky management plan, which is available at the link below:
A big part of the plan is identification of new broodstock waters for WI strain fish, in an apparent effort to move away from the single source currently in use (Bone Lake in Polk County, WI).
A second part is an evaluation of the success of Leech lake srain fish in some larger WI waterways. These include Wissota, Monona, Delevan, and Petenwell (which will get any leftover fish after the other 3 are stocked). Over the next 4 years (06-09), Wissota will get 2500 Leech Lake strain fish planted per year, Monona will get 985, and Delevan 1250. Each lake will get a comparable number of WI strain fish planted at the same times. The idea will be to start sampling each lake 5 years from the original plants and to look for survival and growth characteristics. This is a step in the right direction!
A third part of the plan is to do a more extensive analysis of LL strain success in the waters of the St Croix river drainage basin. 7 lakes in NW WI will receive both LL and Wi strain fish at a rate of 1 fish (total) per acre, stocked on an every-other-year basis. Those lakes are Shell and Matthews (Washburn Cty), Deer (polk cty), Sand (Barron), Twenty-Six, Benoit, and Des Moines (Burnett Cty). I know that there are some guys on the board that fish Shell and Deer. Stocking will take place between 06 and 09, and sampling will begin in 2011.
These are good, progressive steps toward (re)establishing a high-quality musky fishery in WI.
