North Dakota Outdoors: fish surveys - KFYR

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BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Fish reproduction and stocking success were above average on most North Dakota lakes surveyed this fall.

Mike Anderson shows us what fisheries biologists did to survey Lake Sakakawea.

Fisheries biologists spend a lot of time in fall surveying district lakes and the Missouri River System in North Dakota looking for natural fish reproduction, spring fish stocking success and forage conditions.

“Basically, we’re looking at how the year went for reproduction of fish, everything from sport fish down to forage species. So it gives us a snapshot of how well things were for the fish reproduction that year,” said NDGF fisheries supervisor Dave Fryda.

On this day, we tagged along with Dave Fryda and his fisheries crew on Lake Sakakawea.

“We had very high abundance of white bass, goldeye, crappie, good numbers of spottails, a lot of these what we call alternative forage aside from our smelt, but those fish did really well. Another highlight is we’ve seen the strongest sauger reproduction we’ve ever documented in the last 50 some years of these surveys. And our walleye are looking pretty good too,” said Fryda.

Fryda says the annual hydroacoustic survey on Lake Sakakawea conducted in August, indicated a good abundance of smelt in the reservoir.

“Lake Sakakawea still is doing very well with both sport fish and forage conditions. And you know, 2022 is an exceptional fishing year on Sakakawea again,” said Fryda.

To catch small fish, for the reproduction survey, you need small mesh trap nets and gill nets.

“It targets just small fish. We don’t catch much for adult fish in these nets this time of year. So also the nets that we use during the summer to catch adult fish will not sample these fish this time of year,” said Fryda.

Fish reproduction surveys are important for managing Lake Sakakawea and other waterbodies in North Dakota.

“It is because it gives us an idea of what we’re going to have in three or four years down the road when those fish start recruiting to a size that anglers are willing to harvest when they get to that 14-to-16–18-inch range,” said Fryda.

In spring, biologists will stock fish into lakes to help boost the populations if necessary.

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