Fisheries Management Lake Wausau Al Niebur DNR Fish Team Supervisor - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Fisheries Management Lake Wausau Al Niebur DNR Fish Team Supervisor - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Aug 20, 2022 205 likes •598 views

Fisheries Management Lake Wausau Al Niebur DNR Fish Team Supervisor Lake Wausau Management Plan Meeting September 28, 2017 FISHERIES MANAGEMENT.... we make fishing better WAUSAU FISHERIES STAFF PORTAGE AND

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FISHERIES MANAGEMENT……………………..….. we make fishing better

Fisheries Management

Lake Wausau

Al Niebur – DNR Fish Team Supervisor

Lake Wausau Management Plan Meeting September 28, 2017

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WAUSAU FISHERIES STAFF

PORTAGE AND MARATHON COUNTIES

Jake Thompson Fisheries Technician Fisheries Biologist Vacancy Al Niebur Fisheries Team Supervisor

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Topics Covered

  • Fishery Characteristics and

Historical Fish Management

  • Fish Population Status
  • Recommendations
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Characteristics of Lake Wausau Fishery

Regulations

  • Gamefish on the Wisconsin River are open year-round to fishing

in Marathon and Portage Counties

  • Fishery follows General Inland Rules for bag limits and length

limits; except for walleye and panfish

  • No minimum size on Walleye prior to 1990 on the Wisconsin

River

  • 1990 – 15 inch minimum size was established on the Wisconsin

River walleye population

  • 2002 – Slot limit established on Wisconsin River from Grandfather

Dam (Lincoln County) to Prairie Du Sac Dam (Sauk County).

  • 5 bag,15-20” harvest slot, 20-28” closed, 1 fish >28”
  • 2016 – Special Panfish Regulations: 25 daily bag limit but no

more than 10 of each panfish species

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Characteristics of Lake Wausau Fishery

Surveys, Stocking, Other Management

  • 4 comprehensive fish surveys conducted in the last 30 years
  • Most of the fishery is maintained from natural reproduction.
  • Muskellunge maintained through private stockings.
  • Lake sturgeon are present due to restoration stocking efforts in

the Upper Wisconsin River.

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Fish Population Assessment

How and when does the DNR conduct fish surveys in Lake Wausau?

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Spring Fyke-Netting

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Electrofishing (Boomshocker)

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Sampling Schedule

  • Annual Fall Electrofishing Surveys:

– Monitor walleye recruitment (new survey starting in 2017)

  • Comprehensive Fish Community Survey

– 7 year Rotation – Last survey in 2012 – Next Survey is being moved up to 2018

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What Information is Collected?

  • Length
  • Weight
  • Gender
  • Abundance (Total and

Relative)

  • Age and Growth
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How does the DNR gauge a fish population?

Metrics:

  • Abundance
  • Size Structure
  • Growth
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Metric Analysis

  • Statewide Comparison
  • Comparison to other

WI River Flowages

  • Trends over time in

Lake Wausau

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Fish Population Status and Trends

Lake Wausau

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Gamefish and Panfish Catch

Fyke Netting - 2012

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Fish Community

BLACK BULLHEAD BLACK CRAPPIE BLACK REDHORSE BLUEGILL BOWFIN BROWN TROUT CHANNEL CATFISH COMMON CARP GOLDEN REDHORSE GOLDEN SHINER LAKE STURGEON LARGEMOUTH BASS LOGPERCH MUSKELLUNGE NORTHERN HOG SUCKER NORTHERN PIKE PUMPKINSEED ROCK BASS SHORTHEAD REDHORSE SILVER REDHORSE SMALLMOUTH BASS TADPOLE MADTOM TROUTPERCH WALLEYE WHITE SUCKER YELLOW BULLHEAD YELLOW PERCH

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Black Crappie Status

  • Abundance: Moderate

– Electrofishing

  • CPE (all sizes) = 5.4 per mile (47th percentile)

– Fyke Netting – 2012

  • Net CPUE = 5.6 per net night (63rd percentile)
  • Size Structure: Moderate

– PSD8 = 70% (60th percentile) – RSD10 = 11%

  • Growth: Moderate
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Abundance and Size Trends

% > 8 inches % > 10 inches

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Bluegill Status

  • Abundance: Moderate

– Electrofishing

  • CPUE all sizes = 11.1/mile (15th percentile)

– Fyke Netting - 2012

  • CPUE = 12.0 net night (54th percentile)
  • Size Structure: Low

– PSD6 = 14% (20th percentile) – PSD8 = 1%

  • Growth: Moderate
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Bluegill Abundance and Size Trends

% > 6 inches % > 8 inches

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Walleye Status-2012

  • Abundance: Moderate

– Net CPUE = 2.82 net night (50th percentile)

  • Size structure: Moderate-High

– PSD15 = 73% (64th percentile) – RSD20 = 49%

  • Growth: Moderate
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Walleye Size and Abundance Trends

% > 20 inches % > 15 inches

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PSD

10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Stevens Point Mosinee Dubay Wausau Petenw ell Alexander

Lake PSD %

Pre Post

A comparison of pre-regulation and post-regulation stock density (PSD) for walleye from 6 flowages of the Wisconsin River.

% > than 15 inches

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RSD20

5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Stevens Point Mosinee Dubay Wausau Petenw ell Alexander

RSD 20 %

Pre Post

A comparison of pre-regulation and post-regulation stock density (RSD20) for walleye from 6 flowages of the Wisconsin River.

% > than 20 inches

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Northern Pike Status

  • Abundance: Moderate

– Net CPUE = 2.6 net night (66th percentile)

  • Size Structure: High

– PSD21 = 78% (87th percentile) – RSD26 = 43% – RSD34 = 11% – Largest = 38.6 inches

  • Growth: Fast
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Northern Pike

Abundance and Size Trends

% > 21 inches

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Muskellunge Status

  • Abundance: Moderate

– CPUE = 0.23 per net night

  • Size Structure: High

– PSD34: 85% – RSD42: 14% – Largest Musky = 48.0 inches

  • Growth: Moderate
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Abundance and Size Trends

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Black Bass Status

  • Abundance: Moderate

– Smallmouth CPE = 3.9 per mile (50th percentile) – Largemouth CPE = 1.9 per mile (16th percentile)

  • Size Structure: High

– Smallmouth PSD14: 89% (90th percentile) – Largemouth PSD15: 57% – Largest Smallmouth: 20.7 inches – Largest Largemouth: 19.9 inches

  • Growth: Moderate
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Abundance and Size Trends

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Management Recommendations

  • Continue fisheries assessments

– Annual fall walleye recruitment survey – Comprehensive Surveys on 7 year rotation (next survey in 2018)

  • Continue evaluations on fishing regulations

– Panfish 10/25 bag limit – Walleye Harvest Slot

  • Aquatic Habitat

– Maintain and/or enhance coarse woody habitat

  • Angler Perception Survey?
  • Other??
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Coarse Woody Habitat

  • Survey conducted by

UWSP in 2005 estimated 241 logs per mile*

* Crunkilton, R and C Koeller. 2015. Lake Wausau In- lake Habitat, UW Stevens Point

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Management Plan – Black Crappie

  • Goal: A crappie population of moderate density with a high

proportion of quality size (8+ inch) and moderate proportion of preferred size (10+ inch) fish.

  • Objective (density): A relative abundance of 10-15 crappie per net

night from spring fyke netting surveys.

  • Objective (size structure): Of all crappie 4.0 inches and longer

captured by fyke net in spring, 40-60% should be 8.0 inches or longer and 10-20% should be 10.0 inches or longer. (Objective being met)

  • Management Strategies:

– Regulatory: Continue with experimental reduced panfish bag limit and evaluate – Habitat: Manage for natural aquatic plant communities; control EWM and CLP; Maintain coarse woody habitat – Other: maintain adequate predator densities.

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Thank You

Questions?

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Management Plan - Walleye

  • Goal: A walleye population of moderate density with a moderate

proportion of quality-size (15+) fish and preferred-size (20+) fish.

  • Objective (Density): A population density of 3-6 adult walleye per acre

in spring population estimates

  • Objective (Size Structure): Of all walleye 10+ inches, 40-50% should

be 15+ inches and 10-15% should be 20+ inches.

  • Objective (Recruitment): A relative abundance of 10-15 young of year

per mile in fall electrofishing recruitment surveys.

  • Management Strategies:

– Regulatory: Maintain current regulation but continue evaluating efficacy. – Habitat: Protect walleye spawning habitat. Protect enhance coarse woody habitat.

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Management Plan - Bluegill

  • Goal: A bluegill population of moderate density with a high proportion
  • f preferred size (7+ inch) fish.
  • Objective (density): A relative abundance of 7+ inch bluegill of 10-

15 per mile from spring electrofishing surveys.

  • Objective (size stucture): Of all bluegill 3 inches and longer

captured by electrofishing in late spring, 30-40% should be 7+ inches and 5-15% should be 8+ inches.

  • Management Strategies:

– Regulatory: Continue current special regulations. – Habitat: ?? – Other: Maintain adequate predator densities to control bluegill recruitment/density.

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Management Plan – Northern Pike

  • Goal: A northern pike population of moderate density with a

moderate proportion of quality (21+ inch) and preferred size (26+ inch) fish.

  • Objective (density):

A relative abundance of 3-6 adult northern pike per net night in spring fyke net surveys.

  • Objective (size structure): Of all northern pike 11 inches and longer

captured by fyke net in spring, 30-50% should be 21 inches or longer and 10-15% should be 26 inches or longer. (objective being met).

  • Management Strategies:

– Regulatory: None at this time. – Habitat: Manage for natural aquatic plant communities; identify and protect spawning areas (Big Rib River Confluence?).

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Management Plan - Muskellunge

  • Goal: A muskellunge population of low density with moderate

proportions of preferred and memorable fish and potential for trophy size fish.

  • Objective (density):

0.1 to 0.3 adult muskellunge per acre in spring population estimates

  • Objective (size structure): Of all muskellunge 30 inches and longer

captured by fyke netting in early spring, 30-50% should be 38 inches

  • r longer and 10-20% should be 42 inches or longer. (objective

being met).

  • Management Strategies:

– Stocking: stocking quota of 0.5 to 1.0 large fingerling per acre every 2 years. – Assessment: evaluate if natural reproduction is occurring and to what extent – Regulatory: Maintain current size limit regulation