(Storm Lake) The late-night, annual walleye collection is complete at Clear Lake, Rathbun Reservoir, Storm Lake, and the Iowa Great Lakes.
Crews with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Bureau set gillnets at night in traditional areas, looking for walleyes ready to spawn. John Lorenzen, Fisheries Biologist with the DNR Office in Lewis, was a member of the crew at Storm Lake. Lorenzen says the goal is to collect enough fish to hatch 141 million walleye fry to supply Iowa lakes and fish hatcheries.
Lorenzen said they netted five nights and they caught a total of 1,767 walleye. 596 were ripe females that were stripped and that produced about 450 quarts of eggs.
The eggs get fertilized and then they are transported to the fish hatcheries. It takes about three weeks for a walleye to hatch and then from there they will be stocked out.
Hear more about this process with John Lorenzen during the DNR report on 96.5 FM KSOM Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m.
