Natural Resources Restoration (NRDA)
Oconto Sites
Great Lakes (Spotted) Musky Restoration Management
Status: Ongoing Location: The Lower Fox River and the bay of Green Bay, Wisconsin Description: The Remedial Action Plan for the Lower Fox River/Green Bay Area of Concern establishes a goal of increasing the number and diversity of the fishery through the increase of top level predators in the aquatic food chain. The DNR has a program for the restoration of spotted musky in the Fox River and Green Bay. We have seen some success from current stocking efforts given the presence of some spotted musky in the fishery. This initial success is sufficient for the DNR to focus more funding and effort toward obtaining appropriate brood stock and enhancing the reintroduction efforts for Great Lakes spotted musky. Long Lake and Lake St. Clair brood stock sampling and egg collection - To be conducted with Michigan DNR. Propagation - Hatchery rearing of musky at the Wild Rose Hatchery for release into Green Bay and its tributaries. We will plan to rear fish exactly the same way we did in 2002, provided we have sufficient sucker eggs and fry and enough money to purchase small minnows. Small minnows are 8 times more expensive to buy than regular field run minnows. We are planning for a production of 15,000 to 20,000 large musky fingerlings. While fewer were raised in 2002 because of the unavailability of the space at the Art Oehmke Hatchery, this is four to seven times the number of muskies that have been stocked historically. Restoration Goal(s): Fishery Resource Enhancement Timeline:Egg collection - April, 2003
Rearing through the Summer
Tagging and stocking - Late Fall
Project Contact:
Al Niebur
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Photos:
Last Revised: Tuesday March 01 2005
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