NEWAYGO, Mich. — On the Muskegon River from the end of March to the beginning of April, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists, like Mark Tonello, did some fishing at Croton Dam in Newaygo.
However, they didn't use the more common "rod-n-reel" method.
"We're collecting eggs that will eventually hatch out into little walleye that we'll eventually be able to stock around the state," said Tonello. "We're electro fishing. So what we'll be doing is putting an electrical current into the water, it stuns the fish, and it allows us to net them up. It's non lethal. So nearly all of the fish will recover from the process"
The purpose, the DNR's yearly initiative to collect eggs from walleye where the eggs will make their way to hatcheries to later be released to rivers and lakes across the state.
"A lot of our inland lakes don't have the proper habitat for walleye to be able to spawn successfully on their own," said Tonello. "So that's why we need to help out the fishery a little bit by stocking walleye."
In 2022, the DNR stocked over 1,600 walleye in both Lincoln and Wabasis Lakes in Kent County, 43,000 in the Kalamazoo River in Allegan County and over 54,000 in Gun Lake.
The Muskegon River, important resource for Walleye Conservation every year.
"Walleye are one of the most popular fish for anglers in Michigan," said Tonello. "We're very fortunate to have a healthy river like the Muskegon River. It has a walleye run of, you know, 40 to 50,000 walleye every spring. So we're very fortunate to have that resource to draw upon and be able to do an egg take here."
It will take about three to for years for the Muskegon walleye eggs to become the legal size of 15 inches for anglers to keep.
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