Some time ago, we were having a discussion about the current WI slot size regulation for walleyes (14-18″ protected, 1 over 18) on Lake Wissota. Today, I received this reply from Joe Kurz, the WI DNR fisheries biologist in charge of Wissota. I think this is a VERY informative reply.
Jason,
Sorry it took so long to respond to your e-mail. If you want to post it on your web-site, that’s fine with me. I will not use your site as a means of responding to concerns or questions that my response may generate. I suggest that if anglers want to discuss this issue with me that they give me a call or stop in to see me. I favor more direct contact. As convenient as e-mail and web sites are, they also generate more work load. There is just not enough time in the day to get it all done. Hope this helps.
I read your discussion forum on In-Depthangling.com regarding the walleye slot-size on Lake Wissota, and I am happy to see a healthy discussion of the issue. We just completed a 2-year survey of Lake Wissota. At this time, I am unable to provide you specifics on how the walleye population has changed since the inception of the slot-size. I can address the questions about the origin and objectives of this regulation.
I’ve conducted three comprehensive walleye surveys of the lake in 1989-90, 1995-96, and 2006-07. In the latest survey, I observed the greatest number of large walleyes in the lake when compared to previous surveys. When I started my position as fisheries biologist in Chippewa Falls more than 20 years ago, I constantly received complaints about a poor walleye size structure in the lake. These complaints continued through the period that the Chippewa River was under the 15” minimum size limit (1990-1996). Since the slot-size went into effect, especially in recent years, I now receive positive comments about how well the walleye population is doing. However, as some forum participants state, many anglers complain about not being able to take home the mid-sized fish to eat. I will address this issue when I compare data from the various surveys conducted in the lake. Since adequate time and funding are unavailable to conduct comprehensive surveys of all flowages of the lower Chippewa River, walleye population information from Lake Wissota will act as a “barometer” for what is occurring elsewhere in the river.
First off, I thought it is important to provide a brief summary of walleye regulations in Lake Wissota over the past 20+ years. For many years prior to 1990, there was no size limit on walleyes, the daily bag limit was five fish, and there was a year-round, open season from the Holcombe dam downstream. In 1990, a statewide 15-inch minimum size limit was established. From 1991-2007, Lake Wissota has been declared for tribal harvest, and because of this declaration, Lake Wissota has had a daily bag limit of three walleyes. In 1997, the size limit was changed to the current 14”-18” protected slot size. At the 1996 spring rules hearing, this proposed rule was passed in Chippewa County with a vote of 116 yes to 4 no and in Eau Claire County with a vote of 100 yes to 1 no. In 1998, the year-round, open season for gamefish was eliminated from the Holcombe dam downstream to the Dells dam and the walleye season defaulted to the statewide season of the first Saturday in May through March 1.
Surveys prior to the 15-inch minimum size limit indicated a low adult density in the lake. For lakes with natural reproduction of walleyes, our management goal is to maintain a minimum density of three adults per acre. Lake Wissota fell below this goal. In addition, there was a very low density of larger walleyes (>20”), which was reflective of a low number of older, sexually mature females. Our evaluation of the 15-inch minimum size limit in 1995-1996 indicated that the walleye population had changed very little, and the density of larger walleyes appeared to have decreased. Anglers were disgusted with this size limit since there were few legal-sized fish available. Many anglers reacted by harvesting any legal fish they caught. A tag return study conducted after our fall 1989 survey indicated that 96% of the legal-sized fish that were caught ended up being harvested. Another tag return study conducted after our fall 1995 survey still showed a high percentage of fish being caught that were harvested (90%).
A public meeting was held in March 1995 to discuss angler’s concerns and perceptions of fish populations in Lake Wissota and to obtain their ideas about managing these populations. The meeting was very well attended, and as expected, the discussion focused on the walleye population. The primary concern was the low number of larger walleyes in the population and that the 15-inch size limit was not working to improve this. Anglers suggested two primary regulation changes to improve walleye populations – change the bag/size limit and close the year-round, open season. As with your discussion group on proposed regulation changes, we received well over 20 different suggestions on size and bag limit changes, with the majority of anglers favoring some form of a slot-size.
Our 1998 statewide walleye management plan recommended that it was important to provide more regulation opportunities to manage Wisconsin’s diverse walleye fisheries. One of those proposed regulations was the 14”-18”, protected slot-size, and this was the only slot-size allowed as a regulation option. Thus, it was proposed and enacted on the Chippewa River in 1997. The major goals of this regulation change were to improve the adult walleye density, specifically the abundance of adult females, and to increase the abundance of larger walleyes (>20”).
At our March 1995 meeting, I felt we had no biological justification for closing the year-round, open season. However, the onset of the slot-size in 1997 coincided nicely with an angler creel survey being conducted on Lake Wissota. For April, I was able to compare fishing pressure and the catch and harvest of walleyes under the 15-inch size limit with the new slot size. Angling effort directed at walleyes during April and the walleye spawning run increased 1,096% from 1996 to 1997. The estimated walleye catch for April increased 1,791% from 1996 to 1997, and the estimated walleye harvest during April increased a whopping 6,747%. Our creel survey estimated a harvest of 131 walleyes >15 inches in April 1996 with an average size of 16.2 inches. Under the new slot-size in April 1997, the estimated harvest rose to 8,970 walleyes with an average size of 12.9 inches. It was clear that anglers were enjoying taking home walleyes under the slot-size to eat. It was my concern that if this harvest continued annually, the new slot-size would be ineffective in improving the lake’s walleye population. Thus, the year-round season was closed in 1998. Some anglers would like to see the year-round season reopened, and occasionally present a resolution at our spring rules hearings to do just that.
Lake Wissota is blessed with excellent walleye spawning habitat. With good spring weather and river conditions, walleyes normally pull off very good hatches. The two primary impacts to the walleye population have been angler harvest and the impacts of hydropower operations. The population is improving because of one or a combination of all regulation changes that have occurred since 1990 – the protected slot-size, closing the year-round season, and the reduced bag limit. It is not possible to separate out one impact from the other. A hope I had with the protected slot-size is that anglers would realize the benefit of walleye catch and release. Catch and release has been effective with musky, bass and trout management, but has not had the same emphasis with walleye anglers. In addition to regulating angler harvest, we’ve made great strides with changes in hydropower operations to improve habitat conditions in the lake for all fish species, aquatic plants, and the smaller critters that make up a healthy lake ecosystem. For all that we’ve accomplished with the lake, current and future anglers have all benefited.
