The DNR is making changes to the way it raises, stocks and manages its statewide trout program. Effective this year, the agency will close a portion of its French River Hatchery near Duluth, shift trout production among various hatcheries, and reduce or eliminate stocking in 60 lakes and streams where results have not met expectations or self-sustaining trout populations have been established.
The new approach follows an in-depth assessment by DNR staff and implements various aspects of the DNR's Lake Superior and southeast Minnesota trout plans. Last year, the DNR stocked 2.2 million trout at a cost of $2.4 million. The planned changes will result in an immediate savings of about $70,000 in electrical and feed expenses and up to $200,000 annually when changes are fully implemented.
Water bodies, the DNR's planned action and the reason for the action are listed below.
Lakes |
||
|---|---|---|
| BKT=Brook Trout | BNT=Brown Trout | LAT=Lake Trout | SPT=Splake | RBT=Rainbow Trout | ||
| Name | Action | Reason For Change |
| Ahsub (BKT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout; competing warmwater species |
| Bee Cee (RBT) | Delete | Competition with warmwater fish, no trout survival |
| Bingshick (BKT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if changing annual to alternate year stocking rate will maintain or improve survival and growth and maintain the long range goal. Lake is in the BWCAW |
| Bone (Long) (BNT) | Reduce | Low angler pressure on brown trout |
| Burntside (LAT) | Delete | Increase in lake trout natural reproduction, don't want to stock a genetically different strain at this time |
| Conchu (BKT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout; competing warmwater species |
| Crosscut (BKT) | Reduce | Low angling pressure |
| Dan (BKT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout; low angling pressure |
| Divide (Twohey) (SPT) | Reduce | Improve growth rate (quota cut moved to Hogback) |
| East (BKT) | Delete | Low angling pressure |
| East (BKT,BNT,RBT) | Reduce | Low angling pressure |
| Gadwell (Gadwall) (BKT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if changing from annual to alternate year stocking will maintain or improve long term survival and growth and maintain the long range goal. Lake is in the BWCAW. |
| Gogebic (Duck) (BKT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if changing from annual to alternate year stocking will maintain or improve long term survival and growth rated. Lake is in the BWCAW |
| High (RBT) | Reduce | Discontinue RBT stocking due to poor survival of stocked trout; continue to manage for brook trout and splake |
| Hogback (Twin) (LAT) | Reduce | Emphasis on winter splake fishery and to maintain growth rate |
| Huntington Mine (RBT) | Delete | Poor growth and survival |
| Iron Chief Complex (LAT) | Add | New public access |
| Kemo (LAT) | Reduce | Good natural reproduction. Reduced stocking frequency from 1 out of 2 years to 1 out of 4 years. Evaluate natural reproduction |
| Lima (BKT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if changing from annual to alternate year stocking will maintain or improve long term survival and growth rated |
| Little Elbow (RBT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout; low angling pressure |
| Little Long (RBT) | Delete | Low angling pressure |
| Meadow (Lind) (BNT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout, low angling pressure |
| Moosehorn (SPT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, Alternate year stocking is recommended to improve growing conditions for stocked splake by reducing competition for forage |
| Muckwa (RBT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if changing from annual to alternate year stocking and an increase in stocking rate will maintain or improve long term survival and growth. Past assessments indicate that the long range goal can be met with alternate year stocking. Fishing pressure is light |
| Mulligan (BKT) | Delete | Per 2009 LMP, Stocking will be discontinued because it seems likely that northern pike have become established in this lake in numbers high enough to severely limit stocking success |
| Musquash (SPT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, a lower level of stocking would probably still produce a relatively high catch rate and improved growth by reducing competition for forage |
| Ojibway (Twin) (LAT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked lake trout |
| Pine (RBT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, discontinue rainbow stocking and stock SPT in alternate years are a higher rate. RBT not responding to management |
| Portage (SPT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, Alternate year stocking is recommended to improve growing conditions and meet the long term goal in the LMP |
| Regenbogen (BKT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout |
| Sabin (Embarrass) (BKT) | Delete | Naturally reproducing LAT provide most of the biomass; poor survival of stocked rainbow and brook trout |
| Section Eight (BKT) | Reduce | Low angling pressure |
| Shoofly (BKT) | Reduce | Low angling pressure |
| Sock (BKT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if changing from annual to alternate year stocking will maintain or improve long term survival and growth rated. Past assessments indicate that the long range goal can be met with alternate year stocking. Lake is in the BWCAW |
| Superior (LAT) | Reduce | Increase in natural reproduction. Reduction due to Lake Superior Management Plan and reduced number of broodfish |
| Trout (RBT) | Reduce | Per 2009 LMP, evaluate if survival and growth improves by reducing the number of yearlings stocked and compensate by stocking large fingerling, Past assessments indicated that survival and growth improved when smaller yearlings were stocked |
| Unnamed (BKT) | Delete | Low angler pressure, remove lake form the designation list |
| Unnamed (Peanut) (BKT) | Reduce | Low angling pressure |
| Unnamed (Pear) (BKT) | Reduce | Low angling pressure |
| West Bearskin (LAT) | Delete | LAT population now self-sustained. Good natural reproduction and poor survival of stocked LAT |
| Willard (RBT) | Delete | Poor survival of trout and competing warm water fish species |
Streams |
||
| BKT=Brook Trout | BNT=Brown Trout | LAT=Lake Trout | SPT=Splake | RBT=Rainbow Trout | ||
| Name | Action | Reason For Change |
| Big Springs Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Blackhoof Creek (BKT) | Delete | Temporary low water years |
| Camp Creek (BNT) | Delete | Deleted due to good natural reproduction |
| Crystal Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Daley Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Eitzen Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Etna Creek, So Br (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Midway River (BNT) | Reduce | Public access problems, low fishing pressure |
| Necktie River (BKT) | Reduce | Natural reproduction increased after beaver control |
| Otter Creek, Big (BNT) | Reduce | Public access problems, low fishing pressure |
| Pickwick Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Tomato Creek (BKT) | Delete | Poor survival of stocked trout and no observed fishing pressure |
| Sucker Brook (BKT) | Reduce | Natural reproduction increased after beaver control |
| Torkelson Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Unnamed Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
| Unnamed Creek (BKT) | Delete | Reintroduction stocking ends in 2010 |
