Five thousand advanced walleyed pike fingerlings were released last week in lakes Freeman and Shafer. The walleye were jointly purchased and released by the Shafer and Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation (SFLECC) and the Lake Shafer Welfare Association (LSWA).

Walleyed pike fingerlings are released in twin lakes

Advanced fingerlings are four to six inches long. SFLECC contributed $5,000 and LSWA $3,000 to the project. About 3,500 walleyes were planted on the Big Monon at Bedford Bay and another 1,500 were released near the Norway dam on Lake Freeman. Planting the fingerlings in the fall gives them a better chance to survive to maturity.

According to Daryl Johns, SFLECC executive director, "because of the winter flood damage that led to the need for the spring draw downs of the two lakes for cleanup, our fish populations may have been deprived of some important spawning areas. We knew from a DNR survey last fall that the walleye populations could have been better. SFLECC is dedicated to supporting the lakes' biodiversity and the walleye stocking was one of the steps. We are including funds in next year's budget for more stocking and support projects for the fish populations.

"If permission is received from the DNR," he added, "we intend to introduce more largemouth bass into the lakes, install more cover for fish, and improve fish spawning areas."

The long awaited planting was one more example of a project by SFLECC to improve the bio-diversity of the lakes and promote sport fishing, said Merle Peterson, SFLECC president.

"Through the efforts of SFLECC, our lake waters are becoming cleaner and more able to support a wide range of aquatic life," Peterson said. "We are committed to working with other Tippecanoe River watershed environmental organizations to improve water quality and increase the quality of life for everyone who uses the lakes."

It is expected that as the fish mature many will migrate down the Big Monon and Lake Shafer, and through the Norway Dam into Lake Freeman. The advanced fingerlings will reach legal size in one to two years.