NAMPA, Idaho — A few weeks ago we did a story on walleye in Lake Lowell as Idaho Fish and Game urges anglers to catch, kill and keep this invasive fish.
I caught up with the southwest regional fishery manager Art Butts to learn more about the concerns walleye bring to our region and our anglers. It starts with a lack of food source the walleye typically have in the Midwest.
"Our concern with walleye in many waters is just the lack of forage species that we have on this side of the country," said Art Butts. "Walleye are veracious predators, they are eating all the time and they are eating a lot of fish."
Check out the video to hear the concerns of Idaho Fish and Game:
That poses a problem in several different areas, whether that is the bass fishery at Lake Lowell or the perch fishery in Lake Cascade, or salmon and steelhead in some of our rivers. Idaho Fish and Game's latest survey found 1.5 percent of anglers prefer walleye as their preferred species for fishing.
"We are managing these waters based on angler input and what anglers want us to be managing for," said Butts. "In the case of Lake Cascade, it is this incredible perch fishery, and certainly another predator in there, especially a predator as big as walleye could definitely impact the quality of the perch situation. Do we know the extent? No, it's the same with Lake Lowell."
Last year, Idaho Fish and Game pulled 31 walleye out of Lake Lowell, and it surprised them to find two different sizes of fish. Butts told me they don't have enough background information to determine how they got there, but he believes they were stocked illegally.
Idaho Fish and Game tested the inner ear bone of walleye at Lake Cascade and determined that those fish were transported to the reservoir at the age of two. It's illegal to transport live fish in Idaho without a permit, and it's also illegal to release live fish into a public waterway without a permit, and the latter can have serious consequences.
"An angler caught doing so can be hit with multiple counts depending on the number of fish," said Butts. "That person can also be held financially liable for the expenses the state has to take to try and fix the situation."
Idaho Fish and Game discovered this problem because of anglers, and they continue to be the first line of defense. Anglers are asked to reach out to Idaho Fish and Game if they catch a walleye in a new waterway, but in the areas where they have already been found, it is catch, kill, and keep.
"There are no length or bag limits for walleye in any waters in the southwest region because any place you encounter them, they were not stocked intentionally," said Butts. "Last summer, we actually had a large walleye caught in Lucky Peak, so that is of great concern as well."
Butts told me there has also been a rise in walleye in the Snake River. Idaho only has three walleye fisheries, and those are at Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, Onieda Reservoir, and Oakley Reservoir.
