LANDER - As Boysen Reservoir, with its wide variety of fishing opportunity, attracts growing attention from anglers across the region, it continues to be analyzed by fisheries biologists to help sustain the popular product.

The latest netting survey in September bears out what many anglers have reported this summer and fall: a resurgence in yellow perch fishing. Joe Deromedi, the regional fisheries biologist who leads Boysen management, says the same phenomena responsible for the upswing in perch fishing, also contributed to slower walleye fishing this summer.

He explains that vegetation invaded exposed shoreline after the reservoir dropped significantly in 2000, and then when re-immersed in 2004 and 2005 the environment provided excellent habitat for shoreline spawners, such as perch, bullheads and carp. In addition to numerous 2-year-old perch ending up in the creel this summer, the abundance of small fish from successful shoreline spawning has simply provided the predatory walleye plenty to eat and resulted in the species being less likely to chase anglers’ offerings.

September netting revealed a thriving walleye population with numbers and size similar to last year. Average length stayed consistent at slightly over 16 inches. Immediately following impending ice-up, Deromedi predicts a short period of good walleye fishing before the species becomes very inactive with colder water temperatures. Boysen’s boasts both the Wyoming state record walleye and former North American ice fishing record with a 17.42-pound lunker caught Dec. 28, 1991.

Burbot, or ling, are doing well and a good ice fishing season is also predicted for specific areas. Deromedi recommends fishing around the dam and other steep rocky areas in the lower end of the reservoir. He will set trammel nets immediately after ice-out in March to help identify trends in the species.

Ice fishing should also be productive for trout. In its annual October stocking, the reservoir received 50,000 9-inch rainbows, but anglers are just as likely to catch larger, older fish. The annual trout survey in May revealed an average length of 18.0 inches, down from 18.6 inches in 2005.

"Since the surface size of the reservoir dropped in 2006, I expected to catch more trout because they are more concentrated, but better survival of trout stocked the previous October helped lower the average length," Deromedi said. "Next April’s trout fishing should be excellent as it has the past several years."

He adds the annual trout stocking has been shifted to the fall to help reduce the amount of predation from walleye. Because of the silty environment, trout have little success spawning in the reservoir. But, walleye are very successful spawning on the reservoir’s rocky areas and hence haven’t been stocked since the 1970s.

In addition to perch and bullheads responding to the flooded vegetation spawning conditions, Deromedi has seen more crappie and even more bluegill in the reservoir. He predicts a habitat-improvement project of cottonwood trees anchored to the bottom in the Tough Creek area to provide good crappie fishing. Walleye’s Unlimited of Casper and Rocky Mountain Discount Sporting Goods in Riverton provided funding for the project.
(contact: Joe Deromedi (Dare -- oh´ -- meed - ee) (307) 332-2688 or Jeff Obrecht)