New saugeyes, walleyes hit area lakes in spring stocking

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By Jim Morris, Staff Writer 2:01 AM Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A new supply of saugeyes, walleyes and triploid saugeyes are swimming around in area lakes.

Spring stocking, which has taken place in recent weeks, is now complete. All fish are fingerlings, with one exception.

Here are the estimated totals placed in area lakes:

Acton: 96,900 saugeyes.

Caesar Creek: 450,111 saugeyes.

C.J. Brown Reservoir: 406,893 walleyes.

Cowan: 88,440 saugeyes.

Eastwood Lake: 28,218 saugeyes.

Grand Lake St. Marys: 23,794 triploid saugeyes.

Indian Lake: 265,310 saugeyes.

Lake Loramie: 114,855 saugeyes.

Paint Creek: 233,199 saugeyes.

Rocky Fork: 419,832 saugeyes.

Grand Lake St. Marys received only triploid saugeyes, which are considered to have more than a 95 percent chance of being sterile. Because the lake lies in the Lake Erie watershed, the Ohio Division of Wildlife goes to great measures to protect the Lake Erie walleyes from breeding with another species.

Walleyes had been stocked at Grand Lake in recent years, but the walleye fishery did not thrive there.

So the division switched to triploid saugeyes, raised at the St. Marys hatchery. Although they had hoped to stock about 100,000 triploid fingerlings this year, only 23,794 were produced.

As part of an Ohio State/Ohio Division of Wildlife fry vs. fingerling saugeye comparison study, Cowan also received 689,000 saugeye fry.

The only other species regularly stocked in the spring in southwest Ohio state lakes is striped bass. Kiser Lake, which is a brood stock lake for stripers, received 21,547 pure stripers. East Fork Lake was stocked with 750,000 hybrid (cross between stripers and white bass) striped bass fry (two eyes and a wiggle) and 75,000 fingerlings.

Boating guide

The Ohio Division of Watercraft recently published a new guide for Ohio boaters. The free publication is available at ohiodnr.com or (877) 4BOATER.

The new Ohio Boating Areas map includes facility locations, amenities and phone numbers grouped by waterways based upon their horsepower rating and regional location such as Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Additional information on navigation rules, life jacket safety, boating safety tips and launch and loading tips for boaters is included.

Volunteers needed

The Ohio Division of Parks and Recreation is seeking volunteers for all sorts of tasks at area state parks.

Adults or juniors who work alongside a parent or guardian as well as groups can volunteer.

To volunteer, visit any Ohio state park office or go to ohiostateparks.org.

Contact this reporter at

(937) 225-2409 or

jmorris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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