Posts: 178
| Paul, I know DNR will not be involved in pike removal at LCO this spring. We will be starting a MUCH-expanded baseline lake monitoring program that will have us sampling walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, and yellow perch in MANY lakes during a short window in time for effective sampling (for ~3 weeks following ice-out). We'll also be trying to capture broodstock muskellunge from Moose Lake in Saywer County for the first time (for production at the DNR hatchery in Spooner). So DNR will have no time for a pike removal operation. We knew this would be the case last year when we piloted the pike removal project in Musky Bay of Lac Courte Oreilles, hoping that others would take the ball and run with it in the future. I have encouraged the LCO Conservation Department (a tribal agency) to carry that effort forward into the future, but I have not heard if they received approval or funding to do so. For those who are wondering, pike harvest at LCO is still a very good idea if we hope to restore measurable natural recruitment of muskellunge there. But please don't consider this an "anti-pike" agenda. Pike are still a valuable and desirable species in many waters where we are managing FOR them, such as Nelson Lake in Sawyer County and Chequamegon Waters in Taylor County (and many others).
Dave Neuswanger
Fisheries Team Leader, Upper Chippewa Basin
Wisconsin DNR, Hayward |
