Walleye restoration and conservation in the Lake Champlain Basin 

Stocking

Stocking of Walleye in the Lake Champlain Basin is done by both the Lake Champlain Walleye Association and Vermont Fish & Wildlife. LCWA stocks all the fish from their ponds and helps with the stocking of walleye from the state. Fish are stocked directly back to the rivers that their eggs come from.

It should be noted that all fish taken for collection of eggs have been put back to the waters that they were taken from. The process is a tedious one and on occasion a fish has died. It has been minimal. Policy Change - Because of the threat of VHS to Lake Champlain all fish taken for eggs are now being dispatched and tested for VHS. This is to insure that VHS isn't propagated thru eggs.

VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
2011 WALLEYE PROGRAM UPDATE

As of 7/13/11:
LAKE CHAMPLAIN PROGRAM @ ED WEED FCS                  

Egg Collection

DATE   BROOD SOURCE  # EGGS COLLECTED    # FEMALES

4/14       Poultney R.               3,018,670                           25

Fry Stocking

DATE      STRAIN               LOCATION                  NUMBER     MARK   

5/11         Poultney R.        Mouth of Poultney River         271,500     FRY OTC
5/20         Poultney R.        Mouth of Poultney River         233,000     FRY OTC
5/24         Poultney R.        Poultney River (some shrimp 4 days)   20,200       FRY OTC
6/10         Poultney R.        EWFCS Recirc (Shrimp)    360,000       FRY OTC 
6/17         Poultney R.        EWFCS Recirc (Dry Feed) 344,000       FRY OTC

Advanced Fry Stocking                                                   

DATE      STRAIN          LOCATION                          NUMBER       MARK                                       

 5/18        Poultney R.    Perkins Pond – LCWA         25,000       FRY OTC
 5/18        Poultney R.    Samson Pond 1 – LCWA     50,000       FRY OTC
 5/18        Poultney R.    Samson Pond 2 – LCWA     50,000       FRY OTC
 5/18        Poultney R.    Campbell Pond – LCWA      40,000       FRY OTC
 5/19        Poultney R.     off Benson Landing                8,600        Fry/Adv. Fry OTC
 5/24        Poultney R.    off Benson Landing                 21,500       Fry/Adv. Fry OTC      

Fingerling Stocking                                                                                       

DATE  STRAIN     LOCATION                NUMBER   MARK                 SOURCE              

6/21    Poultney R. Lower Otter Creek    14,000     FRY/FING OTC     Perkins Pond
6/23    Poultney R. off Benson Landing   31,300     FRY/FING OTC    Samson Ponds
6/24    Poultney R. off Benson Landing     9,900     FRY/FING OTC    Campbell Pond
6/27    Poultney R. off Benson Landing     9,100     FING OTC             EW DRY FEED
6/28    Poultney R. off Benson Landing    11,000    FING OTC             EW DRY FEED

CONTACT: Kevin Kelsey, Ed Weed FCS, 372-3171

INLAND PROGRAM @ BALD HILL FCS

Egg Collection       

DATE  BROOD SOURCE  # EGGS COLLECTED    # FEMALES

4/29        Chittenden Res.             331,600                        4
4/30        Chittenden Res.             299,300                        4
5/01        Chittenden Res.             409,500                        4
5/02        Chittenden Res.             201,200                        3 

Eggs Incubated at Bald Hill FCS:  1,241,600

Fry Stocking (BHFCS advanced fry recirc. system)

DATE      STRAIN               LOCATION                  NUMBER     MARK   

5/27         Chittenden Res.   BHFCS Recirc.            400,000       FRY OTC

Advanced Fry Stocking (10 days old, fed brine shrimp in recirculation system)

DATE      STRAIN                 LOCATION                NUMBER       MARK  

6/2           Chittenden Res.    Chittenden Res.               179,000          FRY OTC
6/2           Chittenden Res.    BHFCS Pond #3             40,000            FRY OTC
6/3           Chittenden Res.    Chittenden Res.               137,000           FRY OTC                 

Fingerling Stocking                                                                    

DATE      STRAIN                LOCATION          NUMBER   MARK                 POND              

7/13         Chittenden Res.   Chittenden Res.    11,100      FRY+FING OTC   BH3

CONTACT: Chris Thompson, BALD HILL FCS, 467-3660

Fingerlings in Marking Solution Ready to be Stocked

2007 Stocking Results

EGG COLLECTION             

Eggs Incubated at Bald Hill FCS: Missisquoi R. strain   4,775,500

Eggs Incubated at Ed Weed FCS: Missisquoi R. strain    600,000

Total Number of Eggs Collected: 5,375,500

600,000 eggs were incubated at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station as part of an evaluation of the effects of iodine disinfection on egg survival.   These eggs were a subset of the 4/24 egg collection.  This group of eggs had 100% mortality due primarily to a fungal infection during incubation. 

FRY STOCKING (public waters and BHFCS advanced fry system)

Final Fry Stocking Totals to Public Waters:  Missisquoi R. strain  2,523,000

LCWA stocked between 900,000 - 1,000,000 fry to South Bay from the LCWA portable Hatchery in Whitehall. These fish were not marked.

Advanced Fry Stocking (8-10 days old, fed brine shrimp in recirculation system)

*These fish were to be stocked in Samson Pond 1, but the dissolved oxygen levels were too low.  Fish were stocked into L. Champlain along Butler’s Island.

Final Advanced Fry Stocking Totals: Missisquoi R. strain  350,000

Fingerling Stocking

                        Final Fingerling Stocking Totals:  Missisquoi R. strain   186,500