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F-81-R-9, Michigan
Study 230460
Revised: 2007-08
New Study: 1989-90
Name of Study: Dynamics of the Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch populations and fisheries
A. Problem: Walleye and yellow perch are the most valuable fishery resources in the lower Great
Lakes, where they contribute substantially to harvests in Michigan (sport), Ohio (sport), and
Ontario (commercial and sport). These species exhibit wide fluctuations in reproductive success,
which strongly influences their adult density, growth, mortality, predation rate on forage base
and so forth. It is known that the same walleye move extensively throughout the different
jurisdictions where they are subject to fishery harvest. There are interagency agreements, through
the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), to conduct annual surveys of Lake Erie walleye
and yellow perch stocks and fisheries. These annual samples are critical to the production of the
data pool and statistics necessary to model population dynamics, and to eventually determine
harvest quotas. Survey data are shared and analyzed through the various working groups of the
GLFC's Lake Erie Committee (see annual reports since 1978).
B. Objective: To carry out annual surveys of walleye and yellow perch populations and fisheries,
providing the data necessary for annually updating fish population models used to develop
interagency (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, and Michigan) harvest quotas for walleye
and yellow perch in Lake Erie.
C. Justification: Walleye and yellow perch support extremely valuable sport and commercial
fisheries in the Lake Erie waters of Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan.
Preliminary walleye harvest estimates since 1988 indicate that an average of 6.5 million fish have
been caught each year. While separate walleye stocks are probably involved, tagging and genetic
studies have shown that they all move extensively throughout the interagency management area.
Successful management depends upon consistent annual assessment of population structure and
harvest, as well as finding adequate age-structured modeling techniques for predicting future
standing stocks and desirable harvest rates. Annual sampling has been conducted by the five
agencies since 1978 (see Ohio DJ, F-35-R-26; Pennsylvania DJ, F-62-R) and results pooled to
establish long-term data sets for modeling. Considerable fluctuation in reproductive success and
population abundance has been observed for both walleye and yellow perch. At present, there is
little known about the effects of environmental variation on walleye and yellow perch
reproductive success, and, therefore, no suitable means exists to predict future year class strength
from broodstock estimates. Annual surveys of young-of-year and yearlings are needed by each
agency to produce estimates for their recruitment into catchable stocks at ages 2 and 3.
Recruitment estimates will be combined with model predictions of adult stocks to set quotas. All
survey data and analyses will be shared with other fisheries management agencies to meet
interagency commitments.
D. Expected Results and Benefits: Results from this study will supply annual Lake Erie fishery
data required under Michigan’s cooperative agreements with Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
New York through the international Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC). Fishing effort,
harvest, and population status information will be collected on walleye, yellow perch, and a
number of other predator and forage fish species and will then be contributed to international
databases being maintained through the GLFC. Annual reports will be generated that describe the
status of important angling fisheries on Michigan’s waters of Lake Erie and related fish
population resources. Adult spawning walleye will be tagged each spring, in conjunction with
Ohio, New York, and Ontario tagging projects, to track movements of walleye and to monitor
their harvest and mortality. This information is critical to efficient and successful management of
F-81-R-9, Study 230460 - 2
shared Lake Erie fishery resources, and future changes in Michigan’s sport fish regulations will
be based on it.
E. Background: This is a proposal to extend walleye and yellow perch monitoring with surveys that
have been carried out since 1978. A number of studies have been published on various aspects of
Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch biology and management (Nepszy 1977, Busch et al. 1975,
Parsons 1970, Wolfert 1963, Knight et al. 1984, Shuter and Koonce 1977, Shuter et al. 1979).
Survey data from Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario have been reported
annually by the GLFC's Lake Erie Committee. However, neither methodology nor published data
are available for adequately predicting future recruitment and harvest. Therefore, walleye and
yellow perch population dynamics (growth, mortality, and exploitation) must be monitored
annually to provide parameters required as model inputs and information for evaluation of
management actions and validation of predictions from population models.
F. Procedure: These Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch index surveys will provide data on age
structure, growth rates, mortality rates, exploitation rates, and recruitment of yearling and older
fish into the catchable population. These are a continuation of annual surveys that have been
carried out by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources since 1978. They will be
augmented by a Lake Erie creel survey (Michigan F-81-R, Study 230499) which will provide
estimates of angler effort and catch by age group.
Job 1. Survey design and coordination: Coordinate survey efforts with management unit staff
and staff from other agencies. Collaborate with other agencies in survey design.
Participate in the Scientific Technical Committee, and the Walleye, Yellow Perch,
Interagency Trawl Indexing, Interagency Indexing, Statistics and Modeling, and Forage
Task Groups whose goal is to model the walleye and yellow perch populations, and
ultimately the entire fish community.
Job 2. Conduct surveys and process samples: Set 5 survey trap nets in Lake Erie, off Monroe,
during April to capture walleye, yellow perch, and other species. Trap net survey gear
and methods are described in Thomas and Haas (2005). Collect age and growth data
from walleye, yellow perch, and associated species. Tag walleye as part of interagency
program to estimate stock interactions and rates of exploitation and natural mortality.
Capture, tag, and release walleye in the Huron River, near Flat Rock, Michigan using
electro-fishing gear, to increase the number of tagged walleye at-large and improve
estimates of exploitation and natural mortality. Spring sampling in the Huron River is
largely dependent on weather and stream conditions, which can prevent sampling in
some years. Carry out fall gill-net sampling at two stations (at least two net lifts per
index station) to develop an index of abundance of yearling walleye. Gill-net survey gear
and methods are described in Thomas and Haas (2005). Collect age and growth data on
all age groups of walleye and abundance and length data for other species. Process scale
and spine samples collected from walleye and yellow perch during surveys for age
estimation.
Job 3. Manage data and maintain databases: Collect walleye tag recovery data from cooperating
sport and commercial fishermen and provide individual responses with tagging
information. Combine all tag data from cooperating agencies to estimate exploitation and
natural mortality to improve and validate quota modeling. Update catch at age datasets
for walleye and yellow perch from creel and gill net surveys. Provide data files and
summaries to cooperating agencies involved in Lake Erie management. Share gill net
catch at age data with cooperating agencies to estimate recruitment into adult population.
F-81-R-9, Study 230460 - 3
Job 4. Analyze data: Analyze yellow perch and walleye age and growth data collected during
spring trap-net sampling and electro-fishing. Analyze walleye age and growth data
collected during fall gill-net sampling. Summarize walleye tag recovery data and analyze
with the ESTIMATE computer model (Brownie et al. 1985) to produce year-specific
estimates of mortality and exploitation. Participate in annual work by LEC Walleye Task
Group and Yellow Perch Task Group to model the populations and produce harvest
quota estimates for both Percidae species.
Job 5. Write annual performance report.
Job 6. Write other reports. Data and analyses from this study may also be used to prepare
reports to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (annual lake committee status reports,
state-of-the-lake, etc.), MDNR Fisheries Research Reports, or manuscripts for
publication in scientific journals.
Job 7. ANRE (Evaluate adequacy, necessity, reliability and efficiency of survey): Survey designs
and data management procedures will be evaluated to make sure study objectives are met
and data are collected efficiently and are reliable. Procedures will be evaluated in terms
of adequacy, necessity, reliability, and efficiency.
G. Schedule/Budget1:
Proposed work
Job 1
Job 2
Job 3
Job 4
Job 5
Job 6
Job 7
Survey design and coordination
Conduct surveys and process samples
Manage data - maintain databases
Analyze data
Write annual performance report
Write other reports
ANRE
Associated travel and other expenses
Totals
1
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
8,407
76,548
27,444
13,297
2,388
5,870
NA
9,666
8,827
80,375
28,816
13,962
2,507
6,164
NA
10,149
9,268
84,394
30,257
14,660
2,632
6,472
NA
10,656
9,731
88,614
31,770
15,393
2,764
6,796
NA
11,189
10,218
93,045
33,359
16,163
2,902
7,136
2,897
11,748
143,620 150,800 158,339 166,257 177,468
NA = not scheduled
H. Geographical Location: Lake Erie study location for the spring trap-net survey is approximately
2 miles east of Monroe, Michigan and 1-3 miles south of the mouth of the Raisin River. Fall gillnet stations are located 2 miles east of Stoney Point and 1 mile east of Woodtick Peninsula. The
data analyses and report writing will be performed at the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research
Station in Harrison Township, a facility of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
I. Personnel: Michael V. Thomas, Fisheries Research Biologist; Robert C. Haas, Biologist In
Charge, Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station; Staff of the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research
Station; Research Administrative personnel.
F-81-R-9, Study 230460 - 4
Literature Cited:
Brownie, C., D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, and D. S. Robson. 1985. Statistical inference from band
recovery data--A handbook (2nd edition). U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife
Service, Resource Publication No. 156, Washington, D.C.
Busch, W. D. N., R. L. Scholl, and W. L. Hartman. 1975. Environmental factors affecting the strength
of walleye year classes in western Lake Erie, 1969-1970. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of
Canada 34:1039-1041.
Knight, R. L., F. J. Margraf, and R. F. Carline. 1984. Piscivory by walleyes and yellow perch in western
Lake Erie. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 113:677-693.
Nepszy, S. J. 1977. Change in percid populations and species interactions in Lake Erie. Journal of the
Fisheries Research Board of Canada 34:1861-1868.
Parsons, J. W. 1970. Walleye fishery of Lake Erie in 1943-62 with emphasis on contributions of the
1942-61 year classes. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 27:1475-1489.
Shuter, B. J., and J. F. Koonce. 1977. A dynamic model of the Western Lake Erie walleye
(Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) population. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
34:1972-1982.
Shuter, B. J., J. F. Koonce, and H. A. Regier. 1979. Modeling the western Lake Erie walleye
population: a feasibility study. Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, Technical Report No. 32, 40 pp.
Thomas, M. V., and R. C. Haas. 2005. Status of walleye and yellow perch in Michigan waters of Lake
Erie, 1999-2003. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report 2082, Ann
Arbor.
Wolfert, D. R. 1963. The movement of walleyes tagged as yearlings in Lake Erie. Transactions of the
American Fisheries Society 92:414-420.