blake
Life Member
From the IDNR:
NEWS: Fish Hatchery Busy as Spring Walleye Netting Begins
Posted: April 7, 2009
DES MOINES - The late night, week-long annual walleye collection is underway, beginning first at Lake Rathbun. Crews with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' Fisheries Bureau have been setting gillnets for the past few nights looking for walleyes ready to spawn.
Crews will begin netting at Storm Lake on Wednesday, Clear Lake either Thursday or Friday, and Spirit Lake on Friday. The goal is to collect enough fish to hatch 111 million walleye fry to supply Iowa lakes and fish hatcheries.
Hatcheries will operate around the clock as workers bring in the nightly haul well past midnight. In the morning, those fish will have their eggs removed, then will be returned to the lake to make room for the next catch.
At Spirit Lake, crews will also be collecting muskies to hatch 500,000 muskie fry.
PM
Ron Wyllie
Southwest Iowa IBA Area Representative
rwyllie@iowawhitetail.com
