Frankfort, Ky. – Efforts to restore Kentucky’s original strain of walleyes to the state’s rivers recently expanded with the stocking of 20,000 fingerlings in the upper Barren River. The river received its first-ever stocking of the native strain of walleyes May 24.

Native walleyes all but disappeared from the state due to water quality problems and the construction of dams, which flooded spawning shoals. Nearly all walleyes stocked in the state now are a northern variety better suited to living in lakes.

Several years ago, fisheries personnel discovered a surviving population of the original walleye strain in the Rockcastle River. Broodfish taken from the Rockcastle River are being used for a native walleye restoration program.

“The primary purpose of the (Barren River) stockings is to establish another river population of native walleye outside the Rockcastle River and a sanctuary to maintain their genetic purity,” said Dave Dreves, fisheries research biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “A secondary benefit will be the sport fishery they will create.”

Officials hope that water quality has improved to the point that native walleyes can once again survive and reproduce in other areas of the state. “The Barren River system looks a lot more productive than the Rockcastle River system,” Dreves said. “We saw walleye that we just released feeding on creek chubs in the Barren River.”

The native walleye in the Barren River will be closely monitored to check growth rates and reproductive success. “There are presently no walleye in Barren River or Barren River Lake,” Dreves said. “We wanted them above Barren River Lake so there could be no hybridization with the Lake Erie strain walleye which are present in the Green River. This is all part of the restoration of the native walleye strain.”

If all goes well, native walleye will again thrive in the upper Barren River.