Walleye (Zander vitreus) is one of the most culturally important and sought-after species of freshwater sport fishes in North America. Walleyes are native to North America and can be found from the Arctic down to the Mississippi river basin. They inhabit waters across the mid-eastern and central parts of the US and Canada. They have also been introduced to some of the western and northwestern regions of the US. Within this region, Walleye inhabits many varying environments including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Walleye were first cultured in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as recorded by James Neven in Ontario. In 1948, 44 public hatcheries in the US distributed over 600 million fry and fingerlings of various sizes. Jurisdictions that culture and stock walleye in North America have increased over 410% since 1984.
Walleye stocking is a major program of many fisheries agencies in North America; at least 32 state, federal, and provincial agencies reported stocking walleye between 1986 and 1991. Based on information collected from 36 states and five provinces, it was estimated that almost 869 million Walleyes (all life stages combined) were stocked in North American waters in 2006. More than 1.2 billion walleyes are stocked into North American waters each year because of their popularity as a sport fish. For example, in Wisconsin, walleye is estimated to attract 1.8 million hours of targeted angling effort annually and are the individual species with the highest level of interest from the angling public. The average number of fingerlings stocked annually by each agency during this time was 32.5 million fish for an investment over $19 million US.
All lifestages are cultured intensively and extensively including; Egg, Fry, Small Fingerlings(summer), Extended Growth Fingerlings(fall), Yearlings and Adults-Broodstock. Typically eggs and fry are cultured indoors and the other lifestages are reared utilizing external outdoor ponds of various types. More recently, indoor, intensive systems are being utilized for culture of all lifestages with new and improved equipment and feeds. This presentation will discuss the application of intensive systems for conservation, enhancement, and sportfish management programs as it relates to Walleye and the continued interest in husbandry and culture of various lifestages to support stocking and conservation programs.