1. Walleye Status in Lake Superior Stephen T. Schram Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

2. Lake Superior Fish Community Objectives Maintain, enhance, and rehabilitate self-sustaining populations of walleye and their habitat over their historical range.

3. Walleye Subcommittee Subcommittee formed - 1994 Status Report - 1996 –Described historic and current status –Identified current spawning rivers Rehabilitation Plan - 2001 –Objectives for rehabilitation –Issues and strategies –Routine assessment –Research and assessment needs

4. Known Walleye Spawning Areas W W W W W W W WW W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

5. Historical Harvest

6. Status in Michigan

7. Ontonagon River Huron Bay Sturgeon River Lac La Belle

8. Status Ontonagon River –Self-sustaining population –Sporadic stocking –Spawning closure April 1-June 10 on the West Branch Lac La Belle –Stocking every other year

9. Status Sturgeon River –Self-sustaining population –Alternate year stocking in Portage Lake Huron Bay –Annual maintenance stocking –Assume natural reproduction but not documented

10. Waishkey River Tahquamenon River

11. Status Tahquamenon River –Self-sustaining population –Alternate year stocking –1000 fish tagged in 2001 Waishkey River –Small population –Stocking in Brimley Bay

12. Status in Wisconsin

13. St. Louis River Amnicon River Kakagon Bad River

14. Status Bad River –Maintain/increase population size –Stock fry and fingerlings –Conduct fall survey Kakagon Slough –Maintain/increase population size –Stock fry and fingerlings –Population estimate every 3 years –State fingerling stocking Chequamegon Bay –Bioenergetics study Chequamegon Bay

15. Status St Louis River (including Amnicon River) –Annually monitor population characteristics –Conservative angling regulations –Maintain high population size to buffer potential adverse impacts from invasive aquatic species –Consumption advisory

16. Status in Ontario

17. Pigeon River Pine River Kaministiquia River Current River Black Sturgeon River Nipigon Bay Black Bay

18. Status Pigeon River –Small self-sustaining population Pine River –Small self-sustaining population Kaministiquia River –River resident population

19. Status Current River –Self-sustaining population –Spawning reef created at river mouth Black Bay –Limited adult transfer by sports club –Genetic study in progress –North end of bay has a 0 possession limit

20. Current River Walleye Reef

21. Status Black Sturgeon River –Resident river population –Genetic study in progress Nipigon Bay –Limited natural reproduction –0 possession limit –Stocking experiment inconclusive –Resident population in tributaries

22. Montreal River Batchawana Bay Goulais Bay

23. Status Goulais Bay –Population depressed –Spawn in Goulais River –Fry stocking failed –Restrictive angling regulations Batchawana Bay –Population depressed –River spawners Montreal River –Small spawning population

24. Impediments to Rehabilitation Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas

25. Impediments to Rehabilitation Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas Degraded habitat caused by poor water quality, point and non-point discharge, hydro-electric dams

26. Impediments to Rehabilitation Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas Degraded habitat caused by poor water quality, point and non-point discharge, hydro-electric dams Spawning areas difficult to sample (e.g. Bad River, remote Ontario rivers)

27. Impediments to Rehabilitation Lack of data from many Ontario and Michigan areas Degraded habitat caused by poor water quality, point and non-point discharge, hydro-electric dams Spawning areas difficult to sample (e.g. Bad River, remote Ontario rivers) Slow growing, age structure skewed toward old fish, highly variable recruitment

28. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies Total annual mortality should not exceed 45%

29. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% Determine vital statistics of minor populations

30. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% Determine vital statistics of minor populations Rehabilitate and /or create spawning habitat

31. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% Determine vital statistics of minor populations Rehabilitate and /or create spawning habitat Increase implementation of forestry and agricultural practices within watersheds

32. Recommended Rehabilitation Strategies Total annual mortality should not exceed 45% Determine vital statistics of minor populations Rehabilitate and /or create spawning habitat Increase implementation of forestry and agricultural practices within watersheds Stocking should be done with fingerlings

33. Acknowledgements Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources –Jeff Black –Mike Friday –Mike Petzold Michigan Department of Natural Resources –Vern Nurenberg –Jim Waybrant Bad River Natural Resources Department –Rick Huber