CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said on Tuesday that population sampling at Ocean Lake in the fall “showed excellent survival of walleyes stocked in recent years.”
Game and Fish stocks about 320,000 walleye into the lake each year. The department’s netting operation in fall 2020 had a catch rate “more than three times higher than any other catch rate since 2008.”
“Unfortunately, yellow perch numbers were low,” Game and Fish said. “The low yellow perch numbers are likely influenced by the current high number of walleyes, which feed on yellow perch.”
However, the netting operation captured no northern pike, an “undesirable top predator.” Northern pike were captured by anglers at Ocean Lake in June 2014 and Nov. 2015. Game and Fish adds that a “large dead adult” northern pike was observed floating on the lake in June 2019.
“The presence of northern pike causes concern that an undesirable top predator could affect the fishery and possibly spread within the Wind River/Bighorn basin,” Game and Fish said. “The absence of northern pike in all Game and Fish Ocean Lake netting operations indicates density is currently low and natural reproduction has likely not occurred, if northern pike are still present in the lake.”
“However, continued monitoring will be necessary to determine if a northern pike population establishes in Ocean Lake.”
Anglers are required to immediately kill any northern pike captured rather than releasing them back into the lake.
“Additionally, fisheries biologists would appreciate anglers reporting any northern pike captured in Ocean Lake to the Game and Fish Lander Regional Office at 307-332-2688,” Game and Fish said.
The department noted that the 75% of the walleye captured in the netting operation were 9-11 inches in length.
“Overall, the fall netting indicated high numbers of walleyes will be available to ice anglers; however, catching yellow perch will likely be difficult at Ocean Lake this winter,” Fisheries Biologist Paul Gerrity said. “Most of the walleyes will be smaller than some anglers prefer to keep.”
“However, anglers should keep in mind that the high number of small walleyes that exist now are promising for the future of walleye fishing at the Lake. Most of the 9 to 11-inch walleyes this year will grow to 12 to 13 inches by fall 2021, and 14 to 16 inches by fall 2022.”
This article originally appeared on Oil City News. Used with permission.
