Mille Lacs Muskie Population?

BRIAN AUSTIN wrote:

Since I’m not from up there, it’s not my place to say what should be done on the lake.

The lake is a public resource, you have just as much of a right to suggest/say what you’d like done to the lake than a property owner does.

I mean, that’s the stance us fishermen take when swanky property owners try to make boat launches private right? It cuts both ways, we need to be consistent or it just looks like we are a bunch of entitled, selfish sportsmen….we wouldn’t want that.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Not sure where I was incorrect the first time. Frankly I don’t think I am incorrect this time either.
That stocking was a research study to determine how many walleye hatch in the wild on Mille Lacs and to study the survival rate of a stocked walleye on Mille lacs. Should it ever need it.
It was NOT a stocking effort to help build the walleye population, so yea only Muskie are stocked in Mille Lacs.

I thought this too but I could not confirm it. I remember reading about this stocking research study years ago. Thank you for posting. I believe the primary reason they have chosen not to stock walleye in the lake (other than for research) is that they prefer to have the genetic strain remain pure. When you introduce stocked fish, it dilutes the genetics.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Not sure where I was incorrect the first time. Frankly I don’t think I am incorrect this time either.
That stocking was a research study to determine how many walleye hatch in the wild on Mille Lacs and to study the survival rate of a stocked walleye on Mille lacs. Should it ever need it.
It was NOT a stocking effort to help build the walleye population, so yea only Muskie are stocked in Mille Lacs.

I thought this too but I could not confirm it. I remember reading about this stocking research study years ago. Thank you for posting. I believe the primary reason they have chosen not to stock walleye in the lake (other than for research) is that they prefer to have the genetic strain remain pure. When you introduce stocked fish, it dilutes the genetics.

Correct, and the fact that no stocking is needed. The walleye population is fine.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.sctimes.com/amp/83191426

Here is one of several articles Gim.

Thanks, looks like it was back in 2016.

Yes that is when the research study started.

I will submit that as the lake warms, it will have problems sustaining populations of cisco, northern pike, walleyes and perhaps even the smallies and yes even the muskies. Generally muskies are only stocked to a level of 1 or 2 fish per acre and that’s every other year.

I also feel that while many issues have been identified, harvest has been the biggest culprit of all of them. Hell they are stocking speckled seatrout in the ocean now, nobody can even imagine that that would be necessary!!!

Mark