Can Walleyes spawn & reproduce in a small body of water?

[fisherman-andy]

My family is thinking about buying some land with a small body of water on it. I was thinking about stocking it with Walleye frys purchased legally somehow as opposed to a bass pond.

But it has come to my understanding that Walleyes don't spawn or reproduce well under such conditions and the only way of replenishing would be to restock frys on a yearly basis. Add to that the difficulty of forage maybe stock some perch or blue gills. I want to also have Crappies.

[WaveWacker]

Depending on how small it is and if spring fed or not it may be prone to freeze out and your stocking may not do any good at all without aeration

[Kyle Sandberg]

Yes they can but only under certaind conditions. Before you go out and by 30$ worth of fry, consider the following. Check the depth. A deep body of water, be it small, will have a lower water temp. Walleyes thrive better in cold water and the deepness also helps prevent winterkills. Second, see if their is a place for walleyes to spawn like rocky, sandy shorlines or a creek they may be able to navigate and spawn. Third, see if there is an abundant supply of forage such as minnows and small perch.

On a side note, if there are fish in the water already, what size are they. If you have some decent sized ones, it usualy indicates that there hasn't been a recent winterkill

Hope it Helps

K Dawg

[Mike Walerak]

I am not a fisheries biologist, but I have taken a few classes in fisheries. I am actually a watershed scientist.

Here is my stab at it.

It depends on where the lake is. Water chemistry alone may be the deciding factor of egg survival. I would not stock fry. Fingerlings though more expensive would stand a better chance of survival. It might be a better bang for your buck in the long run. I would not expect them to reproduce. If you plant them and they reproduce consider it a bonus.

If there is significant plant growth, it may also be prone to winterkill. Decaying plant matter is typically what consumes oxygen to a point that results in a winterkill. A small areation system may be used to keep your fish alive.

You will want at least 6 ppm of oxygen for the duration of the winter. I am really not sure what the low DO threshold is for walleyes, but my guess is about 6 ppm.

Don't get me wrong though, plants are very important to control nutrient levels and help keep the pond from turning green and scummy.

Good Luck

mw

[Team Otter]

Good explanation Mike. Thanks for sharing.

[fisherking01]

Not to upset anyone, but perch can be detrimental to a small pond, lake. As prolific as they are, they can do much damage if their population is not controlled by predator fish. The main problem with perch is their tendency to fan the bottom in search of food. This fanning action can decrease substantially the water clarity and upset the vegitation balance. Crappies tend to do the same when their forage base gets low.

With that said, crappies tend to be a good forage for walleye and are prolific in small basins. I would say that you would want a fairly strong predator base before introducing the forage species.

I have a cousin and also a friend in the fisheries business. They deal with walleye, crappie, and tiger muskies. One of the most discouraging conditions for rearing lakes is when someone introduces perch. Once in a system, fry introduction is quickly stopped, as the perch eat a lot of fry. There's a lot more to the balance than that, but something to consider.

I have land on a small body of water 40 acres, 9 feet depth, mixed bottom mostly mud with weedy and clean shorelines. The walleye rearing was halted four years ago, and this year we caught a lot of 6-9 inch walleyes, so there is natural reproduction going on there.

[fisherman-andy]

The body of water is fairly small probably between 8 to 12 acres. Looks like mostly mud & silt so far. No sand. I've seen it in the fall but not summer so I don't know what kind of water clearity it will actually have. It seems clear enough when i visually inspected it in the fall. One thing for sure there is already small sunfish in it. Probably stock by the DNR. Possibly even some bass I don't know yet. Won't be able to tell until the spring. The pond is pretty remote so I don't think there is public access anywhere.

I was thinking now of Walleye fingerlings instead of frys. I am split decision about the perch now as forage but id definately like to have some Crappies.

[Dances with Walleye]

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The body of water is fairly small probably between 8 to 12 acres. Looks like mostly mud & silt so far. No sand. I've seen it in the fall but not summer so I don't know what kind of water clearity it will actually have. It seems clear enough when i visually inspected it in the fall. One thing for sure there is already small sunfish in it. Probably stock by the DNR. Possibly even some bass I don't know yet. Won't be able to tell until the spring. The pond is pretty remote so I don't think there is public access anywhere.

I was thinking now of Walleye fingerlings instead of frys. I am split decision about the perch now as forage but id definately like to have some Crappies.

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This sounds like a bigger investment than it's really going to be worth...

You're talking about creating a lake ecosystem-food chain on your own, with no education on the subject matter... You're going to spend thousands of dollars in licenses, fish stockings, transport, taxes, DNR supervision dink charges and the like...

Just to have a 10 (or so) acre pond all to yourself... So you can catch Walleye, that probably aren't going to grow larger than say 15 inches... With the high gamble of winter kill.

Meaning it's going to take you several years of paying out this kind of money just to finally dial in the lake.

****

You'd be better off buying a really sweet new boat, and really sweet new truck, and leasing some cabin land on one of the many 200-300 acre lakes in the longville/leech lake area...

Would probably cost you the same, and you'd get better fishing with less redtape hassles.

I mean not to stomp on your dream, but there's a practicality issue that bears giving a little consideration to.

****

Dumping some bass and maybe the odd pike or two into the pond and seeing what happens is going to cost you less, and have a better chance of survival than just a shoot from the hip sustainable private walleye fishery.

[fisherman-andy]

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Just to have a 10 (or so) acre pond all to yourself... So you can catch Walleye, that probably aren't going to grow larger than say 15 inches... With the high gamble of winter kill.

Meaning it's going to take you several years of paying out this kind of money just to finally dial in the lake.

****

You'd be better off buying a really sweet new boat, and really sweet new truck, and leasing some cabin land on one of the many 200-300 acre lakes in the longville/leech lake area...

Would probably cost you the same, and you'd get better fishing with less redtape hassles.

I mean not to stomp on your dream, but there's a practicality issue that bears giving a little consideration to.

****

Dumping some bass and maybe the odd pike or two into the pond and seeing what happens is going to cost you less, and have a better chance of survival than just a shoot from the hip sustainable private walleye fishery.

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Actually it's not as hard as you think. I've seen Walleyes in smaller ponds 4 to 8 acres do pretty well within the metro areas. And they get pretty large as long as you don't overpopulate or overstock. The main forage was probably small panfish in these ponds. And no aerator operation at all. In fact I know a few remote private small bodies of water and the fish that inhabit these ponds seems to do just fine. That is why I am not hesistant to do so.

Again the pond itself already has some sort of panfish. As long as it has maybe at least 15ft depths I think it'll be fine. The Walleyes may not reproduce and im ok with that. I don't mind spending a few grand here and there. But I don't think it's going to cost me anywhere near what your thinking for me to achieve this. My main goal however is to have large Crappie slabs. The Walleye would just be a compliment. I believe I can achieve this in just 4-6yrs. Gamble or not it's certainly worth it in my opinion.

[Dances with Walleye]

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Just to have a 10 (or so) acre pond all to yourself... So you can catch Walleye, that probably aren't going to grow larger than say 15 inches... With the high gamble of winter kill.

Meaning it's going to take you several years of paying out this kind of money just to finally dial in the lake.

****

You'd be better off buying a really sweet new boat, and really sweet new truck, and leasing some cabin land on one of the many 200-300 acre lakes in the longville/leech lake area...

Would probably cost you the same, and you'd get better fishing with less redtape hassles.

I mean not to stomp on your dream, but there's a practicality issue that bears giving a little consideration to.

****

Dumping some bass and maybe the odd pike or two into the pond and seeing what happens is going to cost you less, and have a better chance of survival than just a shoot from the hip sustainable private walleye fishery.

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Actually it's not as hard as you think. I've seen Walleyes in smaller ponds 4 to 8 acres do pretty well within the metro areas. And they get pretty large as long as you don't overpopulate or overstock. The main forage was probably small panfish in these ponds. And no aerator operation at all.

Again the pond itself already has some sort of panfish. As long as it has maybe at least 15ft depths I think it'll be fine. The Walleyes may not reproduce and im ok with that. I don't mind spending a few grand here and there. But I don't think it's going to cost me anywhere near what your thinking for me to achieve this.

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Well there's all kinds of things to dispute in that... Such as someone who decided to just toss a couple walleye in the run off ponds, vs someone who tried to start his own successful management and stocking program.

***

But that's not the point, so much as there's the question of "Why" you are going to spend a couple thousand dollars on this private pond... Versus spending it on other stuff, like a bigger boat that could take you to better fishing grounds... Or a down payment on some cabin land.

Both of which are going to be things that you're going to see a better return on your thousands of dollars.

After that first blast of terrible winter kills off the walleye you worked so hard to set up... You'll have nothing...

But if you bought a boat or bought some cabin land, you still have it...

****

Until a Marine biologist kicks in, none of us are qualified to say how possible this thing could be... But it still dangles out there that you're willing to toss thousands of dollars at something disposable, instead of tossing thousands of dollars at something that is a more long term investment.

I'm not saying... I'm just saying...

[fisherman-andy]

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Well there's all kinds of things to dispute in that... Such as someone who decided to just toss a couple walleye in the run off ponds, vs someone who tried to start his own successful management and stocking program.

***

But that's not the point, so much as there's the question of "Why" you are going to spend a couple thousand dollars on this private pond... Versus spending it on other stuff, like a bigger boat that could take you to better fishing grounds... Or a down payment on some cabin land.

Both of which are going to be things that you're going to see a better return on your thousands of dollars.

After that first blast of terrible winter kills off the walleye you worked so hard to set up... You'll have nothing...

But if you bought a boat or bought some cabin land, you still have it...

****

Until a Marine biologist kicks in, none of us are qualified to say how possible this thing could be... But it still dangles out there that you're willing to toss thousands of dollars at something disposable, instead of tossing thousands of dollars at something that is a more long term investment.

I'm not saying... I'm just saying...

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I understand what your getting at and I have given that thought. But I already have access to a nice boat & cabin already. In fact my family owns some land down in GA and the small ponds down there do great on bass, crappies & catfish. Even better if the pond had a spring creek & aerator.

I don't think i'll be installing anything that will simulate natural reproduction conditions for walleye anyhow. And the Crappies will do just fine.

[swamptiger]

I live on a small lake (pond) with no public access similar to what you are describing - about 8-10 acres, mucky bottom with some sand, a lot of weed growth - mine's about 24 feet deep in the deepest spot. My experience is that the lake will have a winterkill every few years. The gamefish die off for the most part - the only thing that seems to make it consistently is the bullheads - they've been in there for as long as I can remember. Right now, the lake is loaded with small bass - they look like they're all the same year class - about 12-14".

My advice would be to stock some northerns - they should feed on the bluegills and maybe you will get some nice gills in the end and a nice sized pike or two.

[shooter]

andy i have a small 2 acre pond in the north metro area that is 12 feet deep. I stocked the pond in 2001 with crappie, perch and walleyes. In the spring time it is common to catch crapies that are over 13 inches and walleyes that are 20 inches plus. I bought the walleyes as fingerlings (4-6inches) and they were 15 inches by the second summer. I do have an oxygen pump that i run year round that helps with not having any winter kill. To your question of "can they spawn" the answer to that is probaly not. The walleye is one of the only fish that does not sit over its eggs and fan them, so you need either current or large waves for the eggs to be turned. Thats why you find walleyes in lakes that are big or river feed, the depth, sand, or rocks has very little to do with it. To your question regarding price it is fairly cheap to stock a pond and just takes a little paper work with the dnr. Hope some of this info helps you.

[fisherman-andy]

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I live on a small lake (pond) with no public access similar to what you are describing - about 8-10 acres, mucky bottom with some sand, a lot of weed growth - mine's about 24 feet deep in the deepest spot. My experience is that the lake will have a winterkill every few years. The gamefish die off for the most part - the only thing that seems to make it consistently is the bullheads - they've been in there for as long as I can remember. Right now, the lake is loaded with small bass - they look like they're all the same year class - about 12-14".

My advice would be to stock some northerns - they should feed on the bluegills and maybe you will get some nice gills in the end and a nice sized pike or two.

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Thanks for all the info so far guys. Strange how the small lake you live on has regular fish kills. I've seen much smaller lakes with less depth that has yet to get a bad fish kill. So it's not out of the ordinary because I have caught walleyes out of them that are 25+ inches. And these fish have got to be probably 6-8yrs old. What I do know is the water clearity are better on these small lakes & ponds throughout the whole year which seems to be a factor.

[Mike Walerak]

The only way to know for sure waht will happen is to give it a try. I would be curious to know how it turns out.

I would do some research. There are some really good fisheries management books available.I cannot think of any off the top of my head. Also the DNR fisheries might be a good resource. Otherwise I know of a consultant that is a former DNR fisheries employee that might be of help.

mw

[swamptiger]

I think weed growth is a big factor in my lake - the winterkill usually happens during winters where there is a lot of snow cover - then the weeds start dying off due to lack of sunlight and there just isn't enough oxygen. I'm sure an aereation system would do the job to keep the oxygen levels up, but I'm just not willing to invest the time or money to do it. Also, the lake is landlocked - no inlet or outlet - so the dead vegetation just piles up in the lake instead of getting flushed out. The water is very clear, however.

[LangoTang]

My family has a pond about one third acre or so 12 feet deep. I have landed pike over 15 pounds, crappies as big as both boots put together,and really nice walleyes 24 inchers. I know there are bigger ones in the pond but you cant make em bite. To answer your Question it all depends on the pond, size doesnt matter as with many things Quality does. My pond is gravel and spring fed with rock riprap all the way around. One side note i havent caught a real big sunny or crappie in a at lrast 15 years. and i still think you need to be really dreaming if just natural repro is gonna be enuff. You better buy some fingerlings and feed.

[IKOLA]

Dont let these guys scare ya Andy! With common sense and proper reasearch anything is possible. Plus it sounds like money is no issue, must be good to be you.LOL. Some of my best dreams have contained owening my own pond full of slabs and eye's. Live the dream for me buddy! And keep us posted!

[BLACKJACK]

Interesting post. Does anyone know what the MN regulations are regarding stocking game fish in a pond? Is a permit required? How about if you get a big backhoe in to enlarge/deepen a pond? Is a permit required for that?

[fisherking01]

You need a permit for almoast everything. To dig an existing pond, wetland, you need a permit. To dig a pond in most counties you need a permit. If you dig a hole and it fills with water, you may get by with it. If you dig a hole and it fills with water and someone falls in, you may well have problems. If you do dig a hole, make sure there is a recovery area around the perimiter that allows someone to stand and walk out. Not so steep that a person can't get out.

If there is a wetland involved, it's not worth checking into. The cost for the impact study alone, or the mitigation makes it most likely not affordable.

I do a lot of land development and building ponds and wetlands is very costly from a private standpoint.

Make sure to check county regs before starting, or you may be filling it in again.

Brent

[jigginjim]

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The pond is pretty remote so I don't think there is public access anywhere.

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If you own all the land around the pond, why would there be a publis access?

If its public lakes you can't just go adding fish just you think it would be nice.

[Scott M]

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My family has a pond about one third acre or so 12 feet deep. I have landed pike over 15 pounds, crappies as big as both boots put together,and really nice walleyes 24 inchers. I know there are bigger ones in the pond but you cant make em bite. To answer your Question it all depends on the pond, size doesnt matter as with many things Quality does. My pond is gravel and spring fed with rock riprap all the way around. One side note i havent caught a real big sunny or crappie in a at lrast 15 years. and i still think you need to be really dreaming if just natural repro is gonna be enuff. You better buy some fingerlings and feed.

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George Strait and I have some oceanfront property in Arizona for sale LangoTang. Also shooter, can I come fishing with you? That pond is something I would have to see to believe. It is either hyperbole to "commonly" catch fish as big as you describe or you or mother nature are putting a lot of inputs into a 12 acre pond (nutrients, zooplankton, forage species, adult fish themselves). The size and depth of your pond would totaly limit fish below those sizes, even if stock densities were super low and you were supersaturating the pond with oxygen.

fisherman andy, if you have the money, nothing is stopping you, not even biology I just think I would ask to tour or better yet fish some of these "ponds" that others are holding up as shining examples.

I'm not trying to squash your dream, but if you made big money, you probably did so making wise business decisions. If this were an investment, I would invest elsewhere. There are some big time limitations from size alone of the body of water, depth, and bottom.

Contrary to what was stated by someone above, you do need gravel or rocky substrate for walleye spawning, not JUST flowing water (it helps but isn't a necessary component). Does natural reproduction happen in mucky or silty lakes? Yes, but a gravelly or rocky bottom works better. Walleyes broadcast spawn eggs in open water and those eggs will stick to gravel or rock and hatch between one week to two and a half weeks. It is important that those eggs don't get covered, so wind-swept areas are best. Wind-swept areas also keep oxygen levels up.

To run the operation you want (at least with walleye and crappie and in decent numbers), fisherman andy, you would need a ton of inputs. The largest and most costly would be lots of supplemental stocking and an aerator running most of the year (depending on depth, since we don't know what that is) to be able to get fish of size high quality size.

Also, it is very hard to have a quality sized fishery of both crappies and walleyes. It's a pick one or the other type of deal. Is it possible on large lakes? Yes, but on small ponds this will be hard to do without adult fish stocking.

The point I am making is without a lot of costly inputs, this pond will probably fail if you just throw the fish in and hope for the best. This pond sounds like a nice candidate for a seasonal pond to rear fish, but year round who knows?

If you have the depth in the pond and the money, anythings possible I guess. I would leave the walleyes out of the equation. It sounds like you are willing to wait for things to work out and can invest in an aerator and plenty of fish. You may end up getting a few nice size fish, who knows.

[Scott M]

Also, don't know if you (fisherman andy) were asking or pointing this out about public access, but you need to own the land on all sides of this lake to be able to privately stock it. Just an FYI.

[fisherman-andy]

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by: JigJim:

If you own all the land around the pond, why would there be a publis access?

If its public lakes you can't just go adding fish just you think it would be nice.

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Also, don't know if you (fisherman andy) were asking or pointing this out about public access, but you need to own the land on all sides of this lake to be able to privately stock it. Just an FYI.

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Remote spot meaning almost out in the middle of nowhere . Public Access can be gain through river beds or stream creeks through private land. Yes the whole body of water is enclosed in private land.

I am well aware of what is legal and not under most circumstances since I have done quite a bit research since then.

But seems to me is alot of you don't fish small ponds or lakes enough. I know several public ponds all less than 10acres, smallest being 4 acres and they all have put out Walleyes up to 30 inches from being stocked. I have caught more than 1 at that size or similiar to say so many times over. The growth rate is pretty good also reaching such size as in most larger bodies of water. The Crappies & Walleyes grow to good sizes but them sunnies tend to stay small from what i've seen in these ponds.

So im not worried about the size at all. What I am most afraid of is fishkills & depleted oxygen levels. So taking as much preventative measures to do so that doesn't happen but it can be the unevitable.