ACA Review and Assessment of Walleye Genetics and Stocking in Alberta 

Authors: Fiona D. Johnston, Andrew J. Paul

Walleye (Sander vitreus) are native to Alberta occurring in large rivers and lakes through out the province.

Walleye stocking in the province of Alberta has occurred since 1926.

The spatial pattern of stocking has tended to move walleye genes from northern lakes and water sheds to southern ones.

To address declining walleye populations and further extend their distribution, walleye have been stocked into 118 different water bodies in the province. 

The walleye stocking program incubates green eggs that are collected from fish in the wild and then stocked as three-day old fry. Additionally, fingerlings are grown to a larger size (5cm & 12cm) and stocked into designated water bodies.

GENERAL FACTS ON THE WALLEYE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

The real concern is how successful this 35-year stocking program has been and is the catch and release regulation the right fisheries management program on these lakes that contain Walleye a fish species that anglers pursue mostly for table fare.

Berry (1995) reports walleye occur throughout Alberta in 64 large rivers and approximately 177 lakes.

Information derived from (FMIS) indicate walleye presence in 230 lakes across all major drainages within the province. 

Native Walleye populations are present primarily in Alberta drainages that drain into the arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay.

Last word our group has had Walleye have not been stocked in Alberta in the last nine years that puts the

Qualitative information from regional biologists suggests the success of walleye stocking has been low, with around 30% of lakes stocked producing catchable size fish and less than 10% producing self-sustaining populations (pers. Comm. Wagner, J., ASRD, Edmonton).

Maybe the province should look at 10-20 of the lakes that don’t produce a catchable Walleye and consider switching these lakes into a trophy trout/consumptive (balanced annual enhancement of trout and sustainable retention limit) enhancement program on these lakes. Stocking Brown and Rainbow Trout populations in 10-20 of these large deep lakes and then establish (A 20-23” retention Limit) on half the lakes and a 16” retention limit on the other half. This program will ensure both the consumptive and conservation minded angler are both considered in the program. 

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Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout grow into catchable sizes much quicker than walleye do and on those lakes that provide less than 10% Walleye recruitment the Trout would probably be a better fit. Especially if the province was willing to stock realistic numbers of trout that provide both the consumptive and conservation minded angler a stable, consistent, sustainable enjoyable angling experience.  Having some large lakes with Walleye and others with trout and quite possibly some lakes with both Walleye and trout in them all have possibility. This broader approach would also provide more balance and diversity in to the fishery management program and provide a stable, consistent angling experience for both Walleye and Trout in large lakes here in Alberta.

The real beauty of these larger deeper colder lakes is that they will produce a very edible, appetizing trout the prairie potholes and stocked ponds produce mostly a very muddy less than tasty trout. Most anglers that catch and retain trout on the potholes and ponds where retention is allowed mostly adapt for the lack of taste by preparing them in a smoker.  

That would still leave roughly 98-100 lakes available to stock/enhance with Walleye above and beyond the other lakes out of the 230 lakes containing Walleye in the province of Alberta.

Another opportunity that may proof worthwhile is stocking some of the deeper colder clear lakes with less Walleye and more Lake Whitefish, some Brown and Rainbow Trout as well. Balancing lower fish stocking numbers with lower allowable retention levels annually will ensure all fish species can attain catchable sizes (overall conditioning factors) in these lakes

If lower numbers of fish are stocked and the allowable harvest is reduced to five fish annually all species combined on all waterbodies that allow retention within a watershed unit in the province a sustainable balance could very well be achieved. There are ten watershed units in the province that would allow an angler to retain 25 fish in the southern half of the province and 25 in the northern half of then province that is more than enough fish annually.

Furthermore, the province could implement a Consumptive fishing license at an increased cost of $ 10.00 annually for each consumptive angler over the normal conservative angling license. Then implement fish tags where each separate watershed unit would have a different color tag and the angler would pay $ 5.00 per tag with a limit of five tags per watershed unit. If an angler is caught retaining any fish without a tag affixed to any fish retained, they would be apprehended and charged by the Conservation Officer.  

The last word our group has is that there hasn’t been any Walleye stocking taking place anywhere in the province (Alberta) for the last 9 years that indicates no stocking has taken place since around 2011-2012.

From what our group can gather the former Minister of Sustainable Resources Development (Mr. Mike Cardinal) initiated the construction of the Cold Lake hatchery back in his term. This hatchery was constructed to support a Walleye enhancement program in the north easterly region of Alberta.

Mr. Ken Ambrock has also been involved from information our group has been able to gather. It seems that having Walleye in the native natural lakes in the north eastern region of Alberta has been expanded on down into the southern region of the province through stocking lakes that never originally contained walleye populations.

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Mr. Ken Zelt has also been a part of this southerly stocking/enhancement of Walleye in the province it seems the stocking of the 118 lakes in Alberta was a comprehensive experimental approach. The idea was to stock as many lakes as the province thought Walleye would do well in and then later focus only on the lakes that provided a sustainable and resourceful path forward.  

The stocking of 3-day old Walleye seems to have been a success story. 

The province has had success using a Lac La Biche sewage lagoon to raise Walleye in from just past the egg stage into the stocking size where they are transplanted into appropriate lakes hand picked for the Walleye enhancement program.

Lac La Biche is one of the lakes in Alberta that flows into the Arctic Ocean.

*Note: Fish Culture Information System (FCIS; EAP, Edmonton)

*Note: Fisheries Management Information System (FMIS; EAP, Edmonton

* Note: From Alberta stocking records our group perused there were 243 million Walleye stocked in Lac      La Biche alone over 30-35 years.