(State) The Iowa DNR’s Walleye egg collection effort is expected to get underway later this week in Western Iowa.
DNR Fisheries Biologist Bryan Hayes says walleye are very popular among anglers. “The last angler survey we did in Iowa back in 2019, walleyes were the most popular species targeted in the state. About 24% of our anglers prefer walleye over any other species.”
In order to meet the demand, the DNR undergoes an extensive stocking process each year. “The Iowa DNR has a huge program to culture and stock walleyes. That all gets started every spring as we go after the brood stock walleye to collect eggs and fill up our hatchery.”
The goal is 160,000,000 walleye fry and 405,000 fingerling walleyes. “We need that to fill our hatcheries to have walleyes to stock in our lakes and keep the walleye populations going. Very little natural reproduction from the walleyes out there. To have walleye fishing you have to have a stocking program.”
Hayes says the annual cost to provide walleye stocking in the state is over $400,000 which is paid for by the trust fund.
