—Herbert Hoover, Fishing, An Angler’s Miscellany About Fisheries …cetg.weebly.com/uploads/3/9/7/0/39707378/1.9.15_s5... · 2020-03-20 · —Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler

5-1

Section 5

About Fisheries Resources

And upon all that are lovers of virtue; and dare trust

in his providence; and be quiet; and go a-Angling.

—Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler1

Introduction Section 3 noted that fishing for subsistence has

been important to the people of the Lac du

Flambeau area for hundreds of years and remains

so today, while fishing for recreation or sport began

taking root around the 1900s.

In 1983, George C. Becker pointed out in Fishes in

Wisconsin that “in Wisconsin, sport fishing is the

second most popular use of surface water

resources, only swimming attracts more water

enthusiasts.”4 This is largely true today for Lac du

Flambeau residents in the Bear River Watershed. In

a survey completed by 576 residents in 2012, fishing

(74%) was exceeded only slightly by swimming

(77%) and motorboating (76%) in terms of lake

uses.5

Generally, the quality of a lake’s fishery is directly

related to, if not dependent upon, the overall health

or quality of the lake. It is widely recognized that

factors such as lake size, shape, depth, substrate

composition, water chemistry, and productivity

influence the composition and abundance of plant

species and, therefore, the quality of fish habitat.7

Moreover, numerous studies show that aquatic

plants structure fish populations and influence fish

species composition, abundance, and size of

fishes.8 Studies show, too, that shoreline habitat is

directly related to fish species richness, especially

when people remove, decrease, or change the

abundance or variety of riparian and littoral plant

cover.9

Given the importance of the fishery to Lac du

Flambeau and its relationship with aquatic plants

and lake health, this section serves simply to

introduce selected aspects of the fishery. Details

about aquatic plants, aquatic invasive species, water

chemistry, and lake size, shape, and depth, among

other factors, are presented in subsequent sections.

This section briefly notes the origin of fish in the

Great lakes region, the role of fish historically in Lac

du Flambeau, and the contributions of the Tribal

hatchery. The section also introduces the gamefish

commonly found in Lac du Flambeau, and presents

additional results of the community survey.

Thousands of years ago, marine organisms evolved

into the ancestors of every vertebrate animal that

now inhabits the Great Lakes region, including fish,

amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and

humans.10

Whether you’re crankin’ baits for bass, walleye, northern, or

just funsie fishin’ for some slab size crappies, the Lac du

Flambeau main chain of 10 lakes that cover some 9,000 acres

plus its 100 other concentrated bodies of water are all crystal

clear spring fed mesotrophic types. Their glacier-carved

structure along with weed beds, drop offs, sand bars and fish

shelters offer the angler action from early spring through late

fall.” From Fishing at its finest in Lac du Flambeau (Lac du

Flambeau Chamber of Commerce, 2014).6

All men are equal before fish.

—Herbert Hoover, Fishing, An Angler’s Miscellany2

If you look at a star, you can see the brightness of

that star in the blackness of the sky. When you

shine a light in the water and there’s walleye there,

often times their eyes will be shining that bright.

—Nick Hockings, LdF spearfisher3

5-2 Section 5: About Fisheries Resources

Bear River Watershed Comprehensive Lake Management Plan

Earlier fish had exterior armored plates and sharp

spikes supporting their fins, while the newer creatures

developed endoskeletons as well as regular tooth

replacement and swim bladders. Most of the 25,000

species of modern fish are descendants of a class of

fish that had skeletons on the inside of their bodies.

Originally salt water fish, some species moved

gradually into brackish estuaries and eventually into

freshwater rivers and lakes.11

Before the settlement era, 177 species of fish were

in the northern waters of North America, including

150 in the Great Lakes. Seventy percent of those fell

into just five major families: the Salmonidae (salmon,

trout, grayling, whitefish, and cisco); the Cyprinidae

(carp, minnows, chub); the Catostomidae (thirty-nine

species of suckers); the Percidae (perch, walleye,

darters, and sauger): and the Cottidae (sculpins).12

Lac du Flambeau The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Indians

has a rich cultural connection to the fishery resources

of the Reservation. Before European settlement,

traditional fishing areas included Wisconsin,

Michigan, and Minnesota, which teemed with walleye,

muskellunge, sturgeon, bass, perch, white suckers,

red horse, whitefish, trout, salmon, and various other

species. The fish supported the Indians’ subsistence

lifestyle, which continues today.13

Lac du Flambeau is known for the Indians’ ability to

spear fish at night by torchlight during the spring

when walleye gather in the shallows to spawn. The

torchlight reflects off the fish’s eyes, signaling where

to aim the spear. Witnessing the technique, early

French traders named the area Lac du Flambeau, or

Lake of the Torches. Utilizing natural materials,

Tribal fisherman also caught fish by netting, seining,

and using hook-and-line.14

Since the end of the logging industry and start of the

tourism industry in the early 1900s, sport fishing has

played a major role in Lac du Flambeau. The earliest

fishing camps and resorts catered to fishermen and

an increasing number of seasonal residents while

creating jobs for local guides and domestics. As the

number of tourists and seasonal residents

expanded, more and more services and jobs were

created, including those associated with restaurants,

taverns, bait shops, home construction, grocery

stores, boat dealers, boat maintenance and repair

shops, and gas stations, among numerous others.15

Today, hundreds of years after the first inhabitants

speared by torchlight and over a century since the

first entrepreneurs established resorts, the waters of

Lac du Flambeau still support both subsistence and

sport fishing.

The major species of fish in Lac du Flambeau’s lakes,

rivers, streams, and creeks include walleye, muskie,

northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass,

yellow perch, bluegill, rock bass, pumpkin seed, black

crappie, brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout,

whitefish, cisco, lake sturgeon, white suckers, and

bullheads. Other species include stickle-backs, mud

minnows, shiners, sculpins, and bowfins.16

Lac du Flambeau includes 260 lakes, 71 miles of

rivers, streams, and creeks, and 24,000 acres of

wetlands. These resources – along with 41,733

acres of forested uplands – work together to support

diverse fisheries resources,17

but not without

significant help.

Hatchery Since 1936, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake

Superior Chippewa Indians has operated a fish

hatchery. There have been two fish hatcheries in

Lac du Flambeau. The first hatchery was built in

1936 and enhanced in 1985 with the construction of

13 fish culture ponds and ten 200-foot raceways.

The original hatchery was operational until 1999,

when a new hatchery was constructed.18

The mission of the hatchery is to raise fish

necessary for stocking Reservation waters. To this

end, both subsistence fishing and sport fishing are

enhanced.19

Section 5: About Fisheries Resources 5-3


Fry and fingerling walleye, muskellunge, brook trout,

lake sturgeon, and white suckers are raised for

stocking, while brown trout are raised for biological

control and rainbow trout for sale at the trout pond

and resale markets.20

Through the years, the Tribal Fish Hatchery has

produced well over 650,000,000 walleye fry,

4,500,000 walleye fingerlings, 3,000,000

muskellunge fry, 140,000 muskellunge fingerlings

and 500,000 pounds of brown trout. The number,

size, and lake in which the fish are stocked are

recorded annually.21

Table 5-1 shows the numbers of walleye, sturgeon,

muskie, and brown trout stocked by the hatchery

from 2003-2012. At the time of stocking, walleye

fingerlings were generally 3-5 inches, sturgeon

fingerlings were 5-7 inches, and brown trout were

about 2 inches.22

Details for the individual lakes in

the Bear River Watershed are in Sections 12-21.

In 2005, the walleye fisheries of Lac du Flambeau

waters were classified as good to very good; the

muskellunge fishery was classified as fair to good;

and, the largemouth and smallmouth bass

populations were classified as very good to

excellent.23

Panfish populations provide very good fishing

opportunities, but the yellow perch and black crappie

populations seem to be declining. Based on creel

information, the black crappie fishery began to

decline when the walleye fishery started to increase.

The increase in the walleye population is due to the

18-inch length requirement and the three walleye

per day bag limit for non-Indian fishermen.24

The Tribal fisheries program is not limited to stocking

Reservation lakes with hatchery fish. It also includes

removing beaver dams and culling beaver colonies

to maintain more open water favorable to many fish

species, developing gravel spawning areas in the

Bear River to aid lake sturgeon restoration,

operating the trout pond, and providing a variety of

educational programs.25

Some of the Fish of Lac du Flambeau Walleye - Sander vitreus: Sander refers to the

German common name of the European relative,

and vitreus means glassy, referring to the large

eyes.26

The walleye (Figure 5-1) is a culturally significant

fish of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior

Chippewa Indians. Long before the French arrived in

Table 5-1. Lac du Flambeau Hatchery Stocking Summary for 2003–2012

Year

Walleye Sturgeon Muskie

Brown Trout Total Acres Stocked Fry Fingerlings Fingerlings Fry

2012 13,350,000 251,046 16,128 15,565

2011 30,000,000 238,242 217 60,000 43,286 15,565

2010 18,152,000 209,065 15,287

2009 20,500,000 195,494 1,105 145,000 15,287

2008 13,700,000 173,471 245,000 15,287

2007 22,390,000 331,047 1,072 15,287

2006 15,700,000 343,903 3,919 12,532

2005 15,700,000 3,343,903 3,919 12,532

2004 9,500,000 341,384 14,841

2003 600,000 142,140 13,723



Wisconsin and saw Ojibwe torches hovering above

the water, the Ojibwe relied on sacred foods—wild

rice, venison, and walleye—for sustenence.27

Figure 5-1. Adult Walleye

Walleye were originally confined to the larger lakes

and waterways in Wisconsin. Today, due to

extensive stocking, the walleye is present

throughout Wisconsin, including the lakes in the

Bear River Watershed.28

Walleye can grow to about 31 inches in length and

weigh up to about 20 pounds. The growth rate

depends partly on where in their range they occur,

with southern populations often growing faster and

larger. In general, females grow larger than males.

Walleyes may live for decades, but in heavily fished

populations, however, few older than five or six

years are encountered.29

The spawning migration of walleye begins soon after

the ice goes out, at water temperatures of 38-44º F.

Spawning in Wisconsin generally occurs between

mid-April and early May, although it may extend from

the beginning of April to the middle of May. Walleye

spawning ordinarily reaches a peak when water

temperatures are 42-50º F. The walleye is not a

territorial fish at spawning time; they usually

broadcast their eggs and exercise no parental care.30

Hatchery crews collect brood stock in the early

spring and summer from Reservation waters, spawn

the fish, incubate the eggs (Figure 5-2), fertilize

ponds, and harvest fish for stocking. In 2011, 37

million walleye eggs were collected (Figure 5-3) and

30 million fry (Figure 5-4) were hatched and stocked.

This represents an 81% survival rate from egg to fry.

In 2012, 25 million eggs were collected (Figure 5-3)

and 13.3 million fry were hatched and stocked, a

survival rate from egg to fry of 53.2%.31

Figure 5-2. Hatchery Collection Jars Filled with Walleye Eggs

Figure 5-3. Walleye Eggs Collected During 1984–2012

Figure 5-4. Walleye Fry



In order to protect the walleye fishery there is a

three fish, 18-inch bag limit on the following lakes:

White Sand, Little Sand, Little Crawling Stone, Big

Crawling Stone, Fence, Gunlock, Long Interlaken,

Moss, Pokegama, North and South Twin Placid, Big

Crooked, Flambeau, Little Trout, Shishebogama, To-

To-Tom and Whitefish. Of the lakes in the Bear

River Watershed, only Ike Walton Lake lacks this

bag limit.32

There are some33

who believe the walleye fishery

would improve if the regulation is changed to a

three-bag limit with a slot size. For example, a

protected slot size of 15-18 inches with two fish less

than 15 inches and one fish over 18 inches could be

harvested.34

The Tribe believes there is a need to assess the

current regulation and determine if it should remain

the same or be changed to a three walleye bag limit

with a slot size. A step toward such assessment was

taken in 2011-2012 when a Tribal Wildlife Grant was

funded by the United States Forest and Wildlife

Service (USFWS) to evaluate the bag and size limits

for White Sand Lake.35

Regarding spearing, when the 1983 Voigt decision

affirmed the treaty rights of Lake Superior Ojibwe to

harvest off-reservation natural resources, conflict

erupted over members of the Lac du Flambeau

Band spearing walleye in off-reservation lakes. Non-

Indian tourists and sporting interests feared

spearfishing would deplete the resource and leave

little for the tourists. Though concerns are still

occasionally expressed today, tourists fish

throughout northern Wisconsin’s lakes and members

of the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe exercise their off-

reservation rights, working through the Great Lakes

Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).36

Formed in 1984, GLIFWC represents eleven Ojibwe

tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and MIchigan who

reserved hunting, fishing and gathering rights in the

1837, 1842, and 1854 Treaties.37

Muskellunge - Esox masquinongy: Esox comes

from the old name for pike in Europe and

masquinongy comes from the Cree “mashk”

meaning deformed and “kinonge,” or pike.38

The

common name comes from the Ojibwa word

maashkinoozhe, meaning “ugly pike.”39

Muskellunge (Figure 5-5) or muskie are typically 28-

48 inches long and weigh 5-36 pounds. They prefer

clear waters where they lurk along weed edges, rock

outcrops or other structures to rest. A fish forms two

distinct home ranges in summer: shallow range and

a deeper one. The shallow range is generally much

smaller than the deeper range due to shallow water

warming. A muskie will continually patrol the ranges

in search of available food.40

Figure 5-5. Muskellunge Adult

Most of their diets consist of fish, but can also

include crayfish, frogs, ducklings, snakes, mice,

other small mammals, and small birds. The mouth is

large with many long, needlelike teeth. Muskies will

attempt to take prey head-first, sometimes in a

single gulp. They will take prey up to 30% of their

total length. In the spring they tend to prefer smaller

prey since their metabolism is slower, while large

prey are preferred in fall as preparation for winter.41

The muskie occurs in all three drainage basins in

Wisconsin (Lake Michigan, Mississippi River, and

Lake Superior) but is most widely distributed in the

Chippewa, Flambeau, St. Croix, Black, and

Wisconsin rivers of the Mississippi basin. Its

presence in central and southern Wisconsin is the

result of widespread stocking of fry and fingerlings.

Within the north and south limits of the Wisconsin

muskie range, spawning occurs from mid-April to

mid-May, with the peak occurring early in the

season. Optimum spawning temperature is about



55º F, but may range from 49-60º F. Eggs are

usually deposited indiscriminately over several

hundred yards of shoreline. There is no parental

care. Adult spawners return to the same spawning

ground in consecutive years.42

Hatchery crews collect muskie brood stock from

Reservation waters in the spring and summer,

spawn the fish, incubate the eggs, fertilize ponds,

and harvest fish for stocking. Of the eggs collected

in 2011, 60,000 fry were produced. In 2009, 145,000

fry were released. In 2008, 245,000 were released.43

Smallmouth Bass - Micropterus dolomieu:

Micropterus means “small fin,” dolomieu recognizes

M. Dolomieu, a French mineralogist.44

Smallmouth bass (Figure 5-6) live in all three

drainage basins in Wisconsin (Lake Michigan,

Mississippi River, and Lake Superior). It is quite

probable that the fish was distributed over the state

approximately as it is at present before any

introductions were made. The smallmouth bass is

common in medium to large streams and in large,

clear-water lakes throughout Wisconsin.45

Figure 5-6. Smallmouth Bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish

in the sunfish family. Males are generally smaller

than females. The males tend to grow to about two

pounds, while females can range from three to six

pounds.46

In Wisconsin, smallmouth bass spawning usually

occurs at water temperatures between 62-64º F, but

they have been found spawning at 53º F. In

southern Wisconsin, the smallmouth spawns from

the middle of May through June (water temperatures

between 55-75º F). The male smallmouth may build

several “practice nests” until he finally settles on one

as suitable. The nest is usually a large, perfectly

circular, clean gravel structure. The male bass

protects the nest against intruders of his own and

other species.47

Pound for pound the smallmouth bass has the

reputation as the scrappiest fish in all Wisconsin. It is

usually associated with a rocky stream or lake

environment where its favorite food, the crayfish, is

abundant. It is not unlikely that the smallmouth as

well as the largemouth have been largely

responsible for controlling Lac du Flambeau’s

infestations of rusty crayfish.48

Largemouth Bass - Micropterus salmoides:

Micropterus means “small fin,” salmoides means

“trout-like” in gameness and food.49

Largemouth bass (Figure 5-7) generally spawn in

Wisconsin lakes from late April to early July. The

selection of nest sites begins when water

temperatures reach 60º F, and eggs are laid when

the water temperatures are at 62-65º F. The male

largemouth bass usually selects a sand or gravel

bottom upon which to build a nest; however, the fish

will also nest on soft bottoms, where they are able to

expose such hard objects as roots, twigs, and snail

shells on which to deposit the eggs. Territorial

defense against intruders is practiced by the

largemouth bass as it is by other sunfishes.50

Figure 5-7. Largemouth Bass



Northern Pike - Esox Lucius: Esox comes from the

old name for pike in Europe and lucius comes from

the supposed Latin name for the species.51

In Wisconsin, the northern pike (Figure 5-8) lives in

the Mississippi River, Lake Michigan, and Lake

Superior drainage basins. It is widely distributed

throughout the state except in the unglaciated area,

where it is sparsely dispersed except in large river

systems and impounded areas. The northern pike is

generally common except in the southeastern

quarter of the state, where populations are seriously

depressed.52

Figure 5-8. Northern Pike

Spawning may occur from late March to early April,

as soon as the ice begins to break up in the spring.

Migrations into the spawning areas take place during

the night. Spawning occurs at temperatures between

34 and 40º F, but 36-37º F seems to be the

preferred range. Spawning takes place in flooded

areas with emergent vegetation and involves one

female and from one to three attendant males. Eggs

are deposited on vegetation to which they adhere.

There is no parental care.53

Lake Sturgeon - Acipenser fulvescens: Having

made its first appearance about 100,000,000 years

ago, just about the time that dinosaurs became

extinct, the bottom-dwelling lake sturgeon (Figure

5-9) is a living fossil. Today, the lake sturgeon still

retains many primitive characteristics that have been

lost or modified in other modern-day fish: bony

plates along the body instead of scales; a flexible

rod called a notochord in place of a backbone; a

long snout and a tubular mouth with no teeth. They

cruise lakes and riverbeds, using barbels that hang

in front of their mouths as feelers to sense snails,

insects, leeches, crayfish and small clams. Their

mouth protrudes to suck up such food.54

Figure 5-9. Lake Sturgeon

The Winnebago, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Oneida, and

Sauk tribes revered the huge fish that can reach

weights of several hundred pounds. By 1860,

however, the lake sturgeon was considered a

nuisance by commercial fishermen for tearing their

nets. They slaughtered the fish, stacked them like

cordwood on shore, and left them to rot.55

When fish processors realized the value of lake

sturgeon roe (eggs) for caviar, discovered sturgeon

flesh was delicious fresh or smoked, and found that a

high-quality gelatin called isinglass could be extracted

from the sturgeon’s swim bladder, the Great Lakes

sturgeon fishery exploded. The species was fished

so intensively that its populations were reduced to a

level from which they have never recovered.56

Moreover, pressure on sturgeon has been

exacerbated by the construction of dams, like the

one at the confluence of Flambeau Lake and Bear

River in Lac du Flambeau, which interrupt the

migration of lake sturgeon between the lakes and

river systems.57

Lake sturgeon ranks as Wisconsin’s largest and

oldest fish. A record 195-pounder, currently hanging

on a wall in Lac du Flambeau’s George W. Brown,

Jr. Museum (Figure 5-10), was speared in

Pokegama Lake in Lac du Flambeau in 1979.58

Figure 5-10. Record Lake Sturgeon



Lake sturgeon migrate to their annual spawning

grounds generally between mid April and early May,

preferring to spawn in shallow, rocky areas along

river banks. Sturgeon spawning is dependent on

water temperature and flow. Optimum lake sturgeon

spawning temperatures range from 52 to 58

degrees F. Sturgeon can often be seen doing pre-

spawn porpoising at the preferred spawning sites.

As conditions become more favorable, the fish move

into shoreline areas to spawn.59

Male sturgeon reach sexual maturity when they are

about 19 years old, while females reach sexual

maturity anywhere from 14 to 23 years of age.60

The lake sturgeon is listed as a rare species in the

United States. The species has watch status in

Wisconsin, and is under special observation by

WDNR fisheries managers. Wisconsin has good,

naturally reproducing lake sturgeon populations in

several river systems. Where they have not been

reproducing naturally, hatcheries have been

providing help.61

The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Hatchery has assumed

the important and difficult task of restoring,

establishing, and maintaining a harvestable

population of the culturally significant fish on the Lac

du Flambeau Chain of Lakes and Bear River.62

The

project has included, in part, getting sturgeon eggs

from the Turtle Flambeau River and the Mississippi

River system and raising them to fry or fingerling

size, assessing native stocks on the Bear River,

using radio tags to track fish movement, and

identifying spawning habitat on the Bear River.63

Since 2005, several thousand 5-7 inch sturgeon

fingerlings have been raised, many have been

tagged, and 20 have been surgically implanted with

radio transmitters. Figure 5-11 is a sample sturgeon

tracking map for White Sand Lake.64

Figure 5-11. White Sand Lake Sturgeon Tracking Map



Black Crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus: Pomoxis

means “sharp opercle (cheek),” nigromaculatus

means “black spotted.”65

The black crappie (Figure 5-12) lives in all three


Mississippi River, and Lake Superior). This glacial

species is well distributed throughout the state,

except in the streams of southwestern Wisconsin.66

Figure 5-12. Black Crappie

In Wisconsin, the black crappie usually spawns in

May and June; however, during a colder season,

spawning may be delayed until July. Favorable

spawning temperatures range from 64 to 68º F. The

male sweeps out a nest in sand or fine gravel and

guards the nest and defends the young until they

start to feed.67

Bluegill - Lepomis macrochirus: Lepomis means

“scaled cheek,” macrochirus means “large hand,”

possibly in reference to the size of the pectoral fin.68

Bluegill (Figure 5-13) live in all three drainage basins

in Wisconsin (Lake Michigan, Mississippi River, and

Lake Superior). Originally it was not present in the

Lake Superior basin, but as a result of widespread

stocking, it is now present and reproducing in many

lakes and rivers.69

Figure 5-13. Bluegill

Spawning takes place from late May to early August

(peaking in June) at water temperatures between

67-80º F. Males select a sand or gravel bar that can

be hollowed out to form a nest. Before and after

spawning, the male bluegill defends the nest against

all species, but most vigorously against other male

sunfishes.70

Yellow Perch - Perca flavescens: Perca means

“dusky,” flavescens means “becoming gold

colored.”71

The yellow perch (Figure 5-14) lives in all three


Mississippi River, and Lake Superior), in all of the

state’s boundary waters, and in lakes Michigan and

Superior. Because the yellow perch is a glacial lakes

species, it is widely distributed except in the

unglaciated region of southwestern Wisconsin.72

Figure 5-14. Yellow Perch

Typically, the yellow perch may grow to about 15

inches and weigh up to around two pounds. The

most common fish caught are around one pound or

less.73

Spawning normally occurs shortly after ice-out in

April or early May at water temperatures of 45-52º F.

Yellow perch spawning closely follows that of

walleyes and often coincides with that of suckers.

Yellow perch are random spawners, and do not

construct nests, nor do they guard their eggs and

their young.74

Yellow perch are primarily bottom feeders with a

slow, deliberate bite. They eat almost anything, but

prefer minnows, insect larvae, plankton, and

worms.75



Rock Bass - Ambloplites rupestris. The rock bass

(Figure 5-15) is a species of the sunfish family. They

are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass, but

are usually much smaller. The average rock bass is

between 6-10 inches, and rarely exceed one

pound.76

Figure 5-15. Rock Bass

Rock bass can change from light to dark colored

very quickly to blend in with their surroundings. They

can range from a light silver color with rows of dark

spots along their body to being very dark colored

with large dark blotches over much of their body.

They also have a very large mouth and red eyes.

Rock bass have a dark teardrop under the eye and a

black margin along the fins.77

Rock bass prefer clear water with a rocky bottom.

They often hide near large boulders, rock piles, or

tree roots.78

Male rock bass build nests over gravel substrate in a

slight current often next to a large boulder. Females

then deposit up to 10,000 eggs in a nest, often with

more than one female using the same nest. Males

remain over the nest to fan the eggs and maintain

water flow over the eggs until they hatch in three to

four days. Rock bass typically reach maturity in three

years.79

Brown Trout - Ambloplites rupestris. The brown

trout (Figure 5-16) was first imported to the United

States in 1883 from Germany and stocked in the

Pere Marquette River in Michigan by the U.S. Fish

Commission. Since then, brown trout have been

stocked in virtually every state.80

Brown trout are raised at the hatchery annually for

stocking. The eggs are generally obtained from the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and are incubated in

the hatchery and raised in the five-foot rearing

ponds. Trout averaging 1.8 inches and weighing

1,344 fish per pound were stocked in Fence Lake. In

2011, 43,286 Brown Trout averaging 2.2 inches and

weighing 515 fish per pound were stocked in Fence

Lake.81

Figure 5-16. Brown trout

The hatchery stocks brown trout to counter the

influence of the rainbow smelt, an invasive fish that

can cause serious harm to the walleye fishery.

Rainbow smelt and walleye inhabit the same

spawning areas, but the smelt tend to arrive first to lay

their eggs. When hatched, the smelt may eat the

eggs of the newly arrived walleye as well as the

zooplankton that walleye fry would ordinarily eat. The

young smelt then move to the deeper water where

they and adult smelt eat what would ordinarily be

available for the walleye when they arrive later. The

life-cycle of the brown trout is such that when they are

introduced to the lake, they dine on the smelt and

serve as a biological control favoring the walleye.82

Community Survey The process used to prepare the Bear River

Watershed Comprehensive Lake Management Plan

included mailing a survey to 3,000 households in

Lac du Flambeau.83

The survey posed questions

about topics like residents’ perceptions of the quality

of lake water and overall environment; current and

ideal shoreline landscaping; interest in attending a

variety of workshops; knowledge of aquatic invasive

species; and the quality of fishing.

Almost one-third (996 of 3,000) of the surveys were

returned completed, representing fifty-one lakes. Of

the 996 completed surveys, 576 are from

households affiliated with one of the ten lakes of



focus in the Bear River Watershed Comprehensive

Lake Management Plan.

The survey asked these residents whether they had

personally fished within the past ten years on one of

the ten lakes in the Bear River Watershed. Of the

576 residents, 426 (74%) said they had fished one

of these lakes.

The 426 residents that indicated they had fished one

of the lakes were then asked to describe whether, in

their opinion, the current quality of fishing for that

lake is excellent, good, fair, poor, very poor, or they

are not sure.

A total of 397 residents (Table 5-2) responded to the

question. Of them, 18 (4.5%) believed that fishing is

excellent; 134 (33.8%) believed it is good; and 166

(41.8%) believed it is fair; while 51 (12.8%) and 17

(4.3%) believed it is poor or very poor; and 11

(2.8%) were not sure.

The 426 residents that indicated they had fished one

of the lakes were then asked whether, in their opinion,

the quality of fishing for that lake has been improving,

remaining the same, worsening, or they are not sure.

A total of 414 residents (Table 5-3) responded to the

question. Of them, 36 (8.7%) believed that the

quality of fishing has been improving; 117 (28.3%)

believed that it has remained the same; 174 (42%)

believed it has been worsening; and 87 (21%) were

not sure.

Table 5-2. Survey Results Regarding Perceptions of Current Quality of Fishing

Lake Total #

Respondents

Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Unsure

# % # % # % # % # % # %

Crawling Stone 63 2 3% 24 38% 30 48% 5 8% 0 0% 2 3%

Little Trout 2 0 0 2 100% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0%

Fence 91 6 7% 28 31% 39 44% 11 12% 2 2% 5 6%

Long Interlaken 20 0 0% 5 25% 6 30% 4 20% 5 25% 0 0%

Flambeau 33 3 9% 11 33% 13 39% 4 12% 2 6% 0 0%

Moss 9 0 0% 4 44% 2 22% 3 33% 0 0% 0 0%

Ike Walton 20 1 5% 7 35% 9 45% 2 10% 0 0% 1 5%

White Sand 71 1 1% 18 25% 37 52% 8 11% 6 9% 1 1%

Little Crawling Stone 25 1 4% 5 20% 14 56% 4 16% 0 0% 1 4%

Pokegama 63 4 6% 30 48% 16 25% 10 16% 2 3% 1 2%

Totals Bear River 397 18 5% 134 34% 166 42% 51 13% 17 4% 11 3%

Table 5-3. Survey Results of Perceptions of Change in Quality of Fishing

Lake Total #

Respondents

Improving No Change Worsening Unsure

# % # % # % # %

Crawling Stone 64 8 13% 18 28% 24 38% 14 22%

Little Trout 2 0 0% 0 0% 2 100% 0 0%

Fence 92 11 12% 27 29% 29 32% 25 27%

Long Interlaken 20 1 5% 4 2% 11 55% 4 20%

Flambeau 34 4 12% 10 29% 13 38% 7 8%

Moss 14 0 0% 6 43% 6 43% 2 14%

Ike Walton 20 2 10% 7 35% 9 45% 2 10%

White Sand 75 5 7% 22 29% 37 49% 11 15%

Little Crawling Stone 26 2 8% 7 27% 10 39% 7 27%

Pokegama 67 3 5% 16 24% 33 49% 15 22%

Totals Bear River 414 36 9% 117 28% 174 42% 87 21%



Notes for Section 5

1. Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler (Project Gutenberg EBook, #683) 94. The complete text, 1653, is available on line, http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/683/pg683.html

2. Mark Hoff, editor, Fishing: An Angler’s Miscellany (Ariel Books, 1995), 37.

3. Rick Whaley and Walt Bresette, Walleye Warriors: The Chippewa Treaty Rights Story (Tongues of Green Fire Press, Revised Edition, 1994), 28.

4. George C. Becker, Fishes of Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin Press, 1983) 24. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/EcoNatRes.FishesWI

5. Data from Bear River Watershed Comprehensive Lake Management Plan Survey, Lake-by-lake Comparisons, June 2012. Question 13. See Appendix.

6. Lac du Flambeau Chamber of Commerce website. http://www.lacduflambeauchamber.com/fishing.htm

7. Roy D. Valley, Timothy K. Cross, and Paul Radonski, The role of submersed aquatic vegetation as habitat for fish in Minnesota lakes, including the implications of non-native plant invasions and their management (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, November 2004) 6. http://www.sdstate.edu/nrm/outreach/pond/upload/Subm-veg-MN-DRN-Valley-report.pdf

8. K. Jack Killgore, Eric D. Dibble, and Jan Jeffrey Hoover, Relationships Between Fish and Aquatic Plants: A Plan Study (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, AD-A272 572, October 1993) 4. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a272572.pdf

9. Philip R. Kaufmann, et al. Relevance of lake physical habitat indices to fish and riparian birds (Reservoir Management, December 17, 2013).

10. Wayne Grady, The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region (GreyStone Books, 2007), 52. Also see the definitive text and resource on Wisconsin’s fishes: George C. Becker, Fishes of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Press, 1983). The complete text is available in the university’s digital library, http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/EcoNatRes/EcoNatRes-idx?id=EcoNatRes.FishesWI. For an interesting read on the relationship of the development of fish with the development of the human body, see Neil Shuman, Your Inner Fish: A journey into the 3.5 Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Pantheon Books, 2008).

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid, 236.

13. Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians: Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP), 2008-2023, 7.1

14. Ibid. Also see Section 3 of this document.

15. See Section 3 of this document.

16. Integrated Resource Management Plan, 7.1.

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid. The hatchery is named after its first manager, William J. Poupart, Sr.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid, 7.2.

21. Ibid.

22. The table summarizes data from a series of Stocking Reports provided by the Tribal hatchery.

23. Integrated Resource Management Plan, 7.2-7.3.

24. Ibid, 7.3.

25. Integrated Resource Management Plan, 7.3.

26. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Walleye (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2012). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/walleye.html

27. Mitch Larson, Passing the Torch: An Ojibwe Reflection on the Importance, Tradition, and Culture of Walleye Spearing (The Ojibwe Times, December 9, 2010), 3B.

28. Game Fishes of Wisconsin,Walleye (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2012). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/walleye.html

29. Walleye (Wikipedia, 2013), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walleye

30. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Walleye. Walleye (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2012). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/walleye.html

31. Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians FY 2011 and FY 2012 Final Reports Contract Number CTF55T432F8, 2.

32. Final Reports Contract, 5.

33. Several individuals who completed the questionnaire provided written comments addressing this issue. See Appendix: Questionnaire.

34. Final Reports Contract, 5.

35. Ibid.

36. Aaron Shapiro, The Lure of the Northwoods; Cultivating Tourism in the Upper Midwest (University of Minnesota Press, 2013, 213.

37. In addition, GLIFWC provides natural resource management expertise, conservation enforcement, legal and policy analysis, and public information services in support of the exercise of treaty rights during well-regulated, off-reservation seasons throughout the treaty ceded territories. GLIFWC is guided by its Board of Commissioners along with two standing committees, the Voigt Intertribal Task Force and the Great Lakes Fisheries Committee, which advise the Board on policy. www.glifwc.org

38. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Muskellunge (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2012), http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/muskie/index.html

39. Muskellunge (Wikipedia, 2013), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskellunge

40. Ibid.

41. Ibid.

42. Ibid.

43. Final Reports Contract, 2, and Stocking Reports provided by the hatchery.

44. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Smallmouth bass (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2013). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/smbass.html

45. Ibid.

46. Ibid.

47. Ibid.

48. Ibid.

49. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Largemouth Bass (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2013). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/lmbass.html

50. Ibid.

51. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Northern pike (Wisconsin Department of Natural resources, website, 2012). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/npike.html



52. Ibid.

53. Ibid.

54. Lisa Gauitz and Jack Zimmerman, Honoring the Ancient Ones (Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, June 2001), http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2001/jun01/sturgeon.htm.

55. Ibid.

56. Ibid.

57. Ibid. Also Larry Wawronowicz, Lac du Flambeau Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project - Presentation at NAFWS Great Lakes Region Conference, September 14, 2011.

58. George W. Brown Jr. Museum, Lac du Flambeau.

59. See footnote 53.

60. Ibid.

61. Ibid.

62. Larry Wawronowicz, Director of Tribal Natural Resources Department, Lac du Flambeau Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project - Presentation at NAFWS Great Lakes Region Conference, September 14, 2011.

63. Ibid.

64. Ibid.

65. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Black crappie (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2012). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/bcrappie.html

66. Ibid.

67. Ibid.

68. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Bluegill (Wisconsin department of Natural Resources, website, 2012.) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/bluegill.html

69. Ibid.

70. Ibid.

71. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Yellow perch (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, website, 2012). http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/yperch.html

72. Ibid.

73. Yellow Perch (Wikipedia, 2013), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_perch

74. Game Fishes of Wisconsin, Yellow Perch.

75. Ibid.

76. Rock Bass (Wikipedia, 2013), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_bass

77. Ibid.

78. Ibid.

79. Ibid.

80. Brown Trout (United States Geological Service: Science for a Changing World, website, 2013), http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=931

81. Final Reports Contract, 3-4.

82. Larry Wawronowicz, Director of Tribal Natural Resources Department. From a presentation made at a Lake Steward Workshop, August 4, 2010.

83. Data from Bear River Watershed Comprehensive lake Management Plan Survey, Lake-by-lake Comparisons. June 2012. See Appendix.

Figure Notes for Section 5 Figure 5-1. Adult Walleye, http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/walleye.html

Figure 5-2. Hatchery Collection Jars Filled with Walleye Eggs. Provided by the Tribal Natural Resources Department.

Figure 5-3. Walleye Eggs Collected During 1984-2012. Graphic provided by the Tribal Natural Resources Department.

Figure 5.4. Walleye Fry. Provided by the Tribal Natural Resources Department.

Figure 5-5. Muskellunge Adult. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/muskie/index.html

Figure 5-6. Smallmouth Bass. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck), http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/smbass.html

Figure 5-7. Largemouth Bass. Wisconsin Department of Natural resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck), http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/lmbass.html

Figure 5-8. Northern Pike. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck), http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/npike.html

Figure 5-9. Lake Sturgeon. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck), http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/sturgeon.html

Figure 5-10. Record Lake Sturgeon. Photograph taken at the George W. Brown, Jr. Museum in Lac du Flambeau.

Figure 5-11. White Sand Lake Sturgeon Tracking Map. Provided by the Tribal Natural Resources Department.

Figure 5-12. Black Crappie. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/bcrappie.html

Figure 5-13. Bluegill. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/bluegill.html

Figure 5-14. Yellow Perch. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/yperch.html

Figure 5-15. Rock Bass. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Illustration by Virgil Beck) http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/species/

Figure 5-16. Brown Trout, http://www.picsearch.com/brown- trout-pictures.html

Table Notes for Section 5 Table 5-1. Lac du Flambeau Hatchery Stocking Summary for 2003–2012. Data extracted from tables provided by the Tribal Natural Resources Department.

Table 5-2. Survey Results Regarding Perceptions of Current Quality of Fishing. Data from Bear River Watershed Comprehensive Lake Management Plan Survey, Lake-by-lake Comparisons, June 2012, Question #11. See Appendix.

Table 5-3. Survey Results of Perceptions of Change in Quality of Fishing. Data from Bear River Watershed Comprehensive Lake Management Plan Survey, Lake-by-lake Comparisons, June 2012, Question #12. See Appendix.



Figures Figure 5-1. Adult Walleye .................................................. 5-4

Figure 5-2. Hatchery Collection Jars Filled with Walleye Eggs ........................................................ 5-4

Figure 5-3. Walleye Eggs Collected During 1984–2012 .... 5-4

Figure 5-4. Walleye Fry ..................................................... 5-4

Figure 5-5. Muskellunge Adult .......................................... 5-5

Figure 5-6. Smallmouth Bass ............................................ 5-6

Figure 5-7. Largemouth Bass ............................................ 5-6

Figure 5-8. Northern Pike .................................................. 5-7

Figure 5-9. Lake Sturgeon ................................................ 5-7

Figure 5-10. Record Lake Sturgeon .................................. 5-7

Figure 5-11. White Sand Lake Sturgeon Tracking Map ..... 5-8

Figure 5-12. Black Crappie ............................................... 5-9

Figure 5-13. Bluegill .......................................................... 5-9

Figure 5-14. Yellow Perch ................................................. 5-9

Figure 5-15. Rock Bass................................................... 5-10

Figure 5-16. Brown Trout ................................................ 5-10

Tables Table 5-1. Lac du Flambeau Hatchery Stocking

Summary for 2003–2012 ....................................... 5-3

Table 5-2. Survey Results Regarding Perceptions of Current Quality of Fishing .................................... 5-11

Table 5-3. Survey Results of Perceptions of Change in Quality of Fishing ................................................. 5-11

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