Large-scale production of yellow perch, walleye, and hybrid walleye in ponds

Abstract

Since the 1980s, angler interest in recreational fi sheries has increased the demand for pond production of North American and European percids for stocking to enhance wild populations or to establish new populations. In this paper, we analyze the fi sh and plankton ecology in the production ponds to provide a better understanding of the ecological and biological factors involved in optimal pond production of percid fi ngerlings for stocking. Much of the literature uses a “blackbox method” for optimizing pond management, reporting on the survival, growth, and size at harvest of fi sh from ponds as a function of various fertilization and pond stocking regimens. In contrast, our research since 1987 has focused on the seasonal variation in the ecological interactions among fertilizers, algae, zooplankton, benthos, and larval fi sh in ponds. Accordingly, in this paper we examine management of large-scale production of percid fi ngerlings from an ecological perspective, concentrating primarily on our research through 2012 in three Ohio state fi sh hatcheries, incorporating other information from the literature as appropriate. We fi nd that despite differences in walleye, saugeye, and yellow perch growth and development, rearing ponds can be managed similarly to produce desired size and harvest yields of fi ngerling fi sh by providing adequate food resources. Management protocol for fertilization, stocking schedules, and stocking density should be site specifi c considering the source water quality. Further, sequential culture of ponds may boost overall hatchery production, but we show reduced springtime percid yield due to carryover effects of chemicals added during summertime catfi sh culture.