F.A.Q.

FAQ

Q: How much do walleye cost to stock?

A: Fingerling 2″-8″ are sold by the pound.  15-20 fish per pound costing about $18 per pound.  / 8″-10″  $2.40 per fish / 9″-11″ $2.75 per fish / 12-13″ $3.30 per fish.  As our program increased in size over the years, we have been able to negotiate better pricing with our walleye suppliers.  The current cost for 8″-13″ walleye is about $2.00.

$100 donation will add about 50 (8″13″) walleyes to our lake.

Q: Why stock the larger size fish?

A:  In the 90’s, MN DNR stocked Lake Minnetonka with yearling fish, and the year class had a measurably higher success rate.  The DNR can not afford to stock these larger yearling size fish, and the success rate of yearling fish is significantly higher than fingerling.  The large amount of predator fish in the lake results in a low survival rate for fry and fingerling.

Q:  Will the stocked fish survive on the West side of the lake?

A:  The West side of Lake Minnetonka has the optimal conditions for rapid growth rate due to the highly fertile water.  This will result in the highest amount of walleye grown per acre.  The current perch and pan fish population will support the addition on these walleye.

Q: Is my donation tax deductible?

A: YES. The Westonka Walleye Program is officially recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 public charity. That means all donations qualify for the maximum tax deduction. The effective date of exemption is December 30th, 2014.

Q: What is one of the biggest challenges the walleye faces in Lake Minnetonka?

A:  The habitat walleye use to spawn has been destroyed by shoreline development and invasive species.  Natural reproduction accounts for 5% to 15% of the walleye population in the lake.  If we want walleye in our lake, stocking is mandatory to maintain a harvest-able fishery.

Q:  Are carp really a problem?

A:  Over 50% of the Lake Minnetonka Bio Mass is made up of Carp.  This invasive species competes with other native fish for habitat.  If you put Lake Minnetonka’s carp in a pile, and all the other fish in a different pile, the carp pile would be bigger.

Q:  Are Zebra Mussel really a problem?

A:  Zebra mussel populations are expected to sky rocket in the next few years.  Each zebra mussel has 1 million offspring annually.  Zebra mussel filter plankton from the lake, and plankton is the primary forage for the newly hatched walleye.  If the zebra mussel population gets too high, there will not be enough food for the naturally hatched walleye.  We need to stock fish large enough to eat food larger than plankton.  The damage caused by invasive species is anticipated to be far greater than the improvement we can do to reclaim natural reproduction habitat.

Q: How do we know if a walleye came from natural reproduction vs stocked fish?

A:  Fish scales grow annual rings like tree trunks.  During the gill net surveys, a scale is removed from each fish to determine its age.  Walleye in Lake Minnetonka have only been stocked on even years, so we can calculate the number of odd year fish to estimate natural production rates.

Q: The Western bay’s fertile water has the potential to be the most efficient at growing the maximum poundage of walleye per acre, so why doesn’t the West side of Lake Minnetonka recieve the same stocking efforts as the East side?

A: Stocking efforts have historically been focused on the east side of the lake.