Windom Area: Fish Stocking

Walleye fry are stocked in lakes after years of stocking and survey analysis has determined that walleye fry contribute to the fishery better than walleye fingerlings.  Some lakes; however, are better suited for walleye fingerlings.  Walleye fry are stocked in ponds and harvested as fingerlings in the fall.  These fingerlings are then stocked in Area lakes. 

The Windom Area also operates some northern pike spawning areas.  Adult northern pike are stocked in these ponds and allowed to spawn naturally.  The ponds are drained in early June and the fingerlings are stocked in Area lakes that are managed for northern pike.  Northern pike need flooded vegetation where they can deposit their eggs in order to reproduce successfully.  Many northern pike spawning areas have disappeared with loss of wetlands in SW Minnesota making northern pike fingerling stocking necessary to maintain fishable northern pike lakes.

Walleye 2012

Northern Pike 2012*

*No northern pike were stocked this year due to inadequate water levels for our annual spawning run operations and spring weather that was detrimental to production of young-of-the-year northern pike in our rearing ponds.

Other Species 2012