Walleye Information

2019 Slot Limit Update

In 2018 a new slot went into effect on both Little Boy and Wabedo. (18”-26” with a possession limit of 4, one over 26”). Similar slot limits have been used on other lakes in the region, and have proven to be successful in the following areas.

  1. Increased number of walleyes captured in gill nets during surveys.

  2. Increased numbers of large walleyes. Large walleyes are more effective spawners than small/young walleyes.

  3. Improved recruitment. Recruitment is defined as the number of walleye living to their first birthday. Improved recruitment is believed to be the result of the more effective spawning of large walleye.

NOTE: There is some reduction in overall harvest, but an increase in catch rate. (there are fewer walleye kept, but more caught)

2017 Slot Limit Update

The MN DNR proposed an 18-26" slot limit for walleye on Wabedo and Little Boy lakes. This includes a 4 fish limit with only 1 over 26". Our lake association had asked the Walker DNR to look at some type of change in walleye regulations because the DNR was seeing fewer large fish in the gill net surveys and anglers were reporting fewer and smaller fish.

Doug Schultz of the Walker DNR office presented information at our annual meeting in July 2017. The presentation is below:

WLBCR Annual Meeting Slides (large PDF file - 4254kb) (will open in new tab)

There was a meeting for public comment on September 27, 2017, 6-8 pm, Woodrow Town Hall.


Growing Walleyes

We found the following facts from a blog site very interesting.

  • It stated that the adult female walleye will drop 50,000 to 300,000 eggs (average 175,000) in one night!

  • The fertilized eggs will drop between the rocks. There, predators will have great difficulty reaching them, so they can mature safely. Over 25% of all the eggs will hatch. Walleye do not stay over the eggs to protect them, instead they leave right after spawning is over.

  • Depending on water temperature, fry will emerge from the eggs after just one or two weeks. They will feed off the egg sac for a few days.

  • One in 1,000 fry will survive the spring and summer to reach fingerling size, and between 5% and 10% (7.5% average) of fingerlings will survive to catch able size.

So to summarize, if the average female drops 175,000 eggs on a rocky bottom, 43,750 eggs will hatch, 43 of them will survive to fingerling, and 3.2 of them will make it to catchable size.

Let's do all we can to protect this resource for future generations! !

Walleye Stocking Definitions

  • A littoral acre is defines as a depth of 15’ or less. Little Boy Lake has more littoral acres than Wabedo (466 vs 295). Little Boy will be receiving more fry because it has more littoral acres. As a standard practice, the DNR typically sets stocking based on littoral acres.

  • Fry - Newly hatched fish typically 1/4” in length. They are distributed into lakes in springtime of the same year they hatch.

  • Fingerlings - 4”-6” in length. These fish are reared over the summer and stocked in the fall. The fish are released the fall of the same year they were hatched.