Black Bay Walleye Acoustic Telemetry
Project Title
Investigating walleye movement and behavior in a rehabilitating stock on Lake Superior.
Project Code
BBWAT
Project Duration
May 2016 - October 2022
Project Description
Once home to the largest walleye fishery on Lake Superior, the Black Bay walleye population crashed in the late 1960s. The population decline is currently attributed to over fishing and spawning habitat loss caused by the construction of the Camp 43 dam on the Black Sturgeon River. In effort to facilitate the rehabilitation of the walleye population, a moratorium was placed on commercial walleye fishing in Black Bay in 1969. To improve our understanding of Black Bay walleye ecology, and factors that may limit their recovery, an acoustic telemetry project was initiated in 2016. To date, 182 walleye have been implanted with acoustic transmitters with high annual survival. In the 2018 season, 58 acoustic receivers were distributed in key locations in Black Bay and the Black Sturgeon River to identify spatial and temporal patterns such as migratory behaviours and spawning localities.
Investigators