Summer Dispersal of Walleye in Calling Lake, 2002
Author(s)
Bill Patterson
Summary
In 1998, the walleye population of Calling Lake was classified as collapsed and the Province of Alberta implemented a catch-and-release management regulation for this sport fishery. In April 2002, the Alberta Government designated the north third of Calling Lake as an area closed to fishing, but allowed anglers to harvest 1 walleye and 2 pike (each, of any size) from the south two thirds of the lake. During the summer of 2002, the Alberta Conservation Association conducted a biotelemetry survey to examine the movmenets and home ranges of walleye in Calling Lake. Radio transmitters were implanted into a total of 12 walleye in 2002, and all 12 walleye survived implantation (i.e., mortality rate 0%). Between 14 June and 28 August, these 12 walleye were located on 173 occasions. Analyses of walleye movement data showed that walleye do not prefernetially occupy the area o the lake that is closed to angling. Rather, walleye are dispersed throughout the entire lake, and movement and dispersal did not appear to vary with walleye size. However, many fish had large home ranges that extended throughout much of the lake.