Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN, Neb. – Fisheries staff at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission again this spring will capture spawning walleyes to collect eggs to meet stocking requests.
Sherman Reservoir, Merritt Reservoir and Lake McConaughy have again been selected locations for this operation. The collection goal to meet 2017 walleye stocking requests is approximately 78 million eggs.
As of April 1, a designated area along the dam at Sherman is closed to bank anglers and boats following sunset. The collection at Sherman will begin the night of April 2. Anglers and boaters are asked to avoid Nebraska Game and Parks boats and nets.
Depending on the collection results at Sherman, crews will begin collections at Merritt on or before April 7 and at McConaughy during the week of April 10.
The netting of walleyes will continue until the egg quota has been met. Gill netting along the dam at night will capture female walleyes, while an electroshocking boat will collect males. Spawning operations will take place on the lake during the mornings and fertilized eggs will be transferred to Nebraska state fish hatcheries for hatching. All adult walleye are released back into the lake.
Crews should finish work at Sherman by April 7, at Merritt by April 14 and at McConaughy by April 21, depending on netting success and weather.
Nebraska Game and Parks this year is scheduled to stock nearly 30 million walleye, ranging in size from fry to 8-inch advance fingerlings, into public water bodies across the state.
