Intensive care continues on Leech Lake; Crayfish research, fry stocking and cormorant control ramp up (2006-05-02)

Biologists from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Leech Lake Reservation are working aggressively this spring to restore the health of Leech's famed walleye fishery.

The agencies, along with contracted services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Wildlife Services program, are ramping up three activities to strengthen the fishery: walleye stocking, rusty crayfish research and cormorant control.

WALLEYE FRY STOCKING

The DNR appears to be on target for stocking 20 million walleye into Leech Lake this spring under an agreed to plan. That?s because DNR fisheries crews were able to collect and meet their quota of nearly 700 quarts of eggs from the Boy River walleye spawning run. Egg-taking operations at Hackensack began April 12 and ended April 23. Leech Lake will be stocked with Boy River walleye because they are genetically compatible with walleye in Leech Lake. The bulk of the fertilized eggs are in the Bemidji fish hatchery, where they are incubating. DNR fisheries staff estimate the eggs will hatch in two to three weeks, depending on water temperatures, and stocked into Leech within 24 hours of hatching.

Henry Drewes, DNR northwest regional fisheries manager, said there is a "strong possibility" that an additional 3 million may also be directed to the lake. "We are very pleased with spring egg take operations on the Boy River," said Drewes. "Barring unforeseen circumstances we should have sufficient fry to meet all of the Walker area fry stocking needs."

RUSTY CRAYFISH RESEARCH

Boaters near Bear Island, Battle Point, Pipe Island, and in Miller's Bay of Leech Lake will notice several sets of small buoys. They were set out to mark a research project area that was initiated this week by the DNR and Bemidji State University (BSU), with assistance from the Cass County dive team. The project will help the DNR understand how rusty crayfish, an exotic species, might be impacting walleye egg hatch rates in the lake.

Some speculate that the rusty crayfish might be consuming walleye eggs, thus lowering the natural reproduction in the lake. Volunteers from the Cass County dive team are counting crayfish in 16 locations in the lake during morning and nighttime dives to assess how many crayfish are present in known walleye spawning areas of the lake. BSU researchers are also monitoring crayfish behavior and feeding patterns in laboratory aquaria in another part of the research project.

CORMORANT CONTROL

The USDA Wildlife Services--under contract with the Leech Lake Division of Resource Management and funding from the DNR--has initiated the second year of cormorant control operations on the Little Pelican Island nesting colony. This action, part of a federally reviewed and monitored plan, is being conducted because information suggests the fish-eating birds have had a negative impact on the lake?s walleye population.

The Leech Lake Division of Resource Management is striving to cull the number of cormorants down to 500 nesting pairs on the island, which is tribally owned and managed. Last year, the nesting population was reduced to about 700 nesting pairs before the cormorant eggs began to hatch and other colonial nesting birds, including the threatened common tern, returned to the island. Sharpshooters will also take some cormorants as they return from feeding flights as part of an ongoing diet study, now in its second year. Upon completion of the diet study, the agencies involved will re-evaluate how many cormorants the lake can support without having a significant negative effect on game fish populations.

Boaters and anglers are encouraged to keep a safe distance from the island, as the sharpshooters will be using firearms to dispatch the birds on the island and in the air as they return from feeding flights. The Leech Lake Division of Resource Management has placed buoys in areas around the Pelican Island complex that boaters should avoid.

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