October 2024
Thanks to all of your generous donations, the Westonka Walleye Program will be able to stock an additional 42,000 walleye this fall! We’ve stocked over $350,000 worth of 8-13″ walleye in Lake Minnetonka over the last 10 years.
July 2023
Click on the video below to watch a preview of this well-maintained 1995 Sea Ray 300 Sundancer that was graciously donated to the Westonka Walleye Program. Help us transform this yacht into MORE WALLEYE!
This is a great cruiser for Lake Minnetonka or the river. Excellent condition and priced to move @ $19,995.
https://www.bluelagoonmarine.com/product/1995-sea-ray-300-sundancer/
Contact Steve @ Blue Lagoon Marine in Spring Park – 952-471-8000 ex.#2 or email sales@bluelagoonmarine.com.
Please pass this on to anyone you know that may be looking for a boat this summer and continue to share our story, donate and encourage your fellow anglers to do the same.
Thank you for your continued support!
May 2023
Click on the video below to watch highlights from our 2023 spring stocking event.
Thanks to all of your generous donations, the Westonka Walleye Program was able to stock an additional 24,000 walleye this spring! We’ve stocked over $300,000 worth of 8-13″ walleye in Lake Minnetonka over the last 10 years.
Please continue to share our story, donate and encourage your fellow anglers to do the same!
February 2023
Beer Foot is back and he still loves Back Channel brews. If you missed his hit release from last season, check it out below!
Remember to join us @ Back Channel Brewing on Sunday, February 26th!
Help us fundraise for 2023 and enjoy great beer, great food, and lots of prizes! Stop in for your chance to win big on the last day of the walleye season.
We’ll kick things off at noon and prizes will be awarded around 6p. Please tell your friends and family to join us, although you do not need to be present to win.
June 2022
Register your team by June 7th!
Help us clean up invasive carp in Lake Minnetonka! On June 8th, start at sun rise and harvest carp by state and local approved methods. Carp can be deposited into the dumpster from 5 – 8pm at Centerview Beach, Mound Minnesota.
No cost to participate but teams must donate a minimum of $30 to the Westonka Walleye Program at http://www.472fish.org to win prizes. Please list team name and contact info in the comments portion of your donation.
Teams will be awarded one point for each carp. Teams with the most points will win prizes. All of the harvested invasive carp will be turned into organic fertilizer. Prizes will be awarded at 8 PM.
June 2021
This event is made possible by donations from the following companies:
Nordic Waste Management
Cabin Fever Sporting Goods
St. Boni Motor Sports
Rules:
- Start any time after Sunrise from anywhere on Lake Minnetonka, Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021
- Meeting location is Centerview Beach parking lot just north of 2128 Centerview Lane, Mound MN 55364 at 6PM Wednesday June 2nd.
- Carp must be taken from Lake Minnetonka waters, where allowed, by legal methods.
- Boat/Team must make a minimum donation of $30 to Westonka Walleye Program at www.472Fish.org to be eligible to win prizes. A minimum $30 donation to Westonka Walleye Program must be made before June 2nd to be eligible to win prizes. Please include team name and participant’s names in the “special instructions to the seller” text box when making the donation.
- Boat/Team will receive 1 point for each carp deposited in the dumpster at 6:00PM June 2nd.
- Boat/Team with the most points wins 1st place price.
- Boat/Team with the 2nd most points wins 2nd place price.
- Boat/Team with the 3rd most points wins 3rd place price, etc.
- Please do NOT deposit any trash in the dumpster, only carp!
- Participants must honor all state regulations except when LMCD or City rules supersede. When fishing “on” the water LMCD rules apply (www.LMCD.org). When fishing from “shore” city rules apply. Note there are 13 municipalities surrounding the lake all with differing rules.
- Anyone can participate by helping remove carp from Lake Minnetonka. There is no cost to participate, just bring the carp at 6PM on June 2nd to Centerview beach on Harrison Bay lake Minnetonka. Help us fill the dumpster! However, a donation must be made to win prizes.
The Westonka Walleye Program has stocked over $250,000 of walleyes in Lake Minnetonka totaling 140,000 fish… 29,000 POUNDS!
This is only possible with all the generous donations from the local community. We need folks to continue to donate and encourage others to do the same. Fundraising has been extremely difficult due to the pandemic, so please help financially if can.
Thanks for your continued support!
February 2021
The Westonka Walleye Program will not be holding a fundraising event at Back Channel Brewing on the last day of the February or at the Gillespie center in April.
It has been a difficult year for finding donations. The majority of WWP’s prizes come from trade shows, which have all been cancelled because of COVID19. Also, Minnesota’s COVID restrictions are limiting our capacity to hold indoor events to as few as thirty people.
Despite these challenges, WWP is still planning on stocking walleye just like we did in 2020, but we need your help!
Please donate now if you can or stop by Back Channel Brewing and pick up a $2.00 WWP cup. Each cup sold will stock one walleye in Lake Minnetonka. Hurry in, as these are the last cups available…
Thank you for your continued support!
October 2019
June 2019
Join us for a Carp Clean-Up on June 12th and 19th at Center View beach on Harrison bay, @ 7:00pm. The MCWD has graciously offered to haul & process all of the carp we clean up. Please only bring carp gathered on the day of the events. Start on your honor, at sunrise on the 12th & 19th. We’ll keep track of how many fish are turned in per team. The team with the most carp will win a prize, (currently TBD).
We’re asking for a $20 donation to the Westonka Walleye Program, per team. Teams can fish from shore, dock, boat, or any means necessary. Up to three people allowed per team. All MN State and LMCD rules apply.
Let’s keep it fun, this is intended to clean up the lake, dispose of the carp in a sanitary way, and raise a little money for stocking walleye. Donations can be made at www.472fish.org, please be sure to include your team name.
Please be respectful to members of the community. If anyone has a problem with bow fishing, please move on to another location. Bow fishing should be restricted to the NW bays and Upper lake. Bow fishing is not allowed in high traffic areas.
April 2019
Save the date! The 6th Annual Westonka Walleye Program fundraising banquet is being held at the Gillespie Center in Mound on Thursday, April 25th 6pm – 9pm.
1st Prize – MarCum Quest HD 1080P Underwater Camera
2nd Prize – 46 X-Treme Propane Powered Ice Drill
3rd Prize – Yeti Tundra Haul – Toughest Cooler on Two Wheels
Tickets are available at the following locations:
Al & Almas Supper Club
Wayzata Bait
Cabin Fever
DH Custom Rods
Shoreline BP
Appetizers and spirits served by Al & Alma’s Supper Club.
We hope to see you at the banquet and as always, thank you for supporting the Westonka Walleye Program!
Johnny Range
January 2019
In addition, we are requesting product donations for our 6th annual Westonka Walleye Program fundraising banquet. The event is scheduled for April 25th, 2019 at the Gillespie Center located in Mound MN.
In the first 6 years, the Westonka Walleye Program has raised over $172,500 from private donations, and stocked approximately 97,000 8”-13” walleye in Lake Minnetonka.
These fish are in addition to the DNR’s stockings, and we are exceeding the DNR in pounds of walleye stocked in MN’s largest metro lake. As our program grows, we are considering stocking other lakes within our community.
The April fundraising banquets have been hugely successful, and over 550 people have attended each year. Our 2019 banquet will be a great opportunity to promote your company’s new products while aiding in our efforts.
We would like to receive donations at your earliest convenience. Please ship donations to: 2039 Arbor Lane, Mound, MN 55364, or contact us for a pick up at 612-803-0010 or Johnny@472Fish.org.
Westonka Walleye Program is recognised by the IRS as a 501c3 public charity, and all donations qualify for the maximum tax deduction!
Link to download a PDF version of the donation request letter: http://www.472fish.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WWP-2019-donation-request-letter.pdf
September 2018
Westonka Walleye Program is a 501c3 public charity. All donations qualify for the maximum tax deduction.
Our mission is to sustain and improve the harvestable walleye fishery on Lake Minnetonka. With approval from the MN DNR, and with private donations, we are stocking 8″- 13″ walleye in Lake Minnetonka. These fish are incremental to the DNR’s stocking program.
In our first 3 years, we have stocked close to 30,000 8″-13″walleye in Lake Minnetonka.
We are stocking larger walleye, (8″-13″). The larger walleye have a higher probability of reaching a harvestable size. By stocking larger size fish we hope to off set the predator factor. It is estimated that 80% of DNR’s stocked (2″-6″) walleye are consumed by predator fish, while less than 10% of (8″-13″) walleye are consumed by predators. It is a lot more expensive to stock this larger size fish, about $2 per fish, but they will have a lot better chance of surviving. Giving anglers a better chance of catching them…
Lack of natural reproduction is a problem! It is estimated that as little as 5% of Lake Minnetonka’s walleye come from natural reproduction. Very few lakes in MN are naturally sustaining walleye fisheries. This is the result of damage to habitat by shoreline development and invasive species, the walleye is struggling to maintain in this ecosystem.
Building a better walleye fishery in Lake Minnetonka, and bringing the pursuit of walleye a little closer to home…