DNR Releases Thousands of Muskies in Backwater, Webster
Posted
Staff Report-
More than 2,000 muskellunge fingerlings were released into Backwater and Webster lakes last week by the Department of Natural Resources. Jed Pearson, DNR fisheries biologist, has been in charge of releasing Muskie into Webster, Barbee and Tippecanoe lakes since 1981. The decision to stock the fish in these lakes came after numerous requests from fishing enthusiasts, who were tired of driving to Michigan to find their favorite fish, according to information from the Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation. After checking Webster Lake’s water quality, current fish populations and types, and plant cover, the DNR decided that it would be a prime location for a Muskie lake, the release states. The Webster Lake Conservation Association, along with interested fishermen, began stocking the lake in the late 1970s. They bought the Muskie from private hatcheries and with permission from the DNR, released them into the lake. The DNR took over the operations in the mid-‘80s, harvesting the Muskie eggs from Webster and raising them in their hatcheries for the next season. The DNR decided that a healthy Muskie level for Webster Lake would be five fish per acre, and they have worked to maintain these numbers, according to the release. The 774-acre lake draws anglers from throughout the Midwest and supports several guide businesses. After seeing the success on Webster, other lakes in the area soon expressed an interest in stocking their lakes with Muskie. The Barbee Chain of Lakes and Lake Tippecanoe now have diversified their fishing options by adding this prehistoric-looking fish to their mix as well. The largest Muskie caught in the area, over 51 inches in length, was in Barbee Lake, according to the release. Pearson thinks that a fish that large was most likely a female, and well over 15 years old. Male Muskie usually grow slower and do not get as large as their female counterparts. According to state records, Darrin Conley caught a 42 lb 8 oz Muskie in Little Tippy in 2002. The size of the Muskie in these lakes is in part due to the catch and release tradition of Muskie fishing. It is not uncommon for the same fish to be caught multiple times. The Muskie fishing industry in North Webster is not only beneficial to the fisherman, but also to the community, according to the DNR. The Muskie stocking has no adverse effects on the lakes, and Pearson concludes that of the $50,000 spent on statewide hatchery operations, the economic value in this area alone is well over $450,000 a year. In the past five years, however, the fishing community has been alarmed with the survival of the muskies released in the lakes, according to the release. While this decrease in fish populations is concerning, Pearson and his team are working on increasing the survival rate of the fish by trying new hatchery and release techniques. This year, one change is that they are staggering the fish stocked. The fisheries biologists released 2,300 fish into Backwater and Webster Lake last Wednesday, and they will release the next 1,500 in the spring. Pearson hopes that the ones in the spring may have a better chance of survival. To test his hypothesis, he is installing PIT tags in the fish released this spring and next fall, to test their survival rates. He will monitor the fish for the next 10 years to compare the two groups. Size limitations are also a new conservation strategy in Webster Lake. This year, the limit for keeping a Muskie in Webster has gone from 36 inches, to 44 inches, according to the release. It remains 36 inches in Tippy and Barbee.
