Natural Reproduction vs Stocking

[Toad]

Do you think increased fishing pressure on a lake with natural reproduction has the same long term effects (if any) as a stocked lake? Or doesn’t it matter?

Thanks for your help

[Duke]

I think it is different for every body of water. Some really crank out the muskies, others reproduce at low levels. But muskies are funny in that no matter how much pressure, there will always be some big fish and the lake doesn't get 'fished out' if they're being released.

[dougj]

This isn't quite what you asked, but it brings up an interesting subject.

I think that lakes with only natural reproduction are a little more subject to fluctuations in the population. Natural reproduction is very dependent on weather and water conditions and year class strength. The resulting population of adult fish in a year with poor spawning conditions can vary widely. Stocking is usually done as so many fish per acre depending on what biologists consider the carring capacity of the lake to be. This is less subject to variation than what mother nature can and often does.

Lakes with only natural reproduction are a little more likely to experience years of very good fishing, that can be followed by years of not so good fishing depending on strenghts of year classes. This is the reason some lakes become "hot" and then cool off as the strong year class (or year classes) age and die regardless of fishing pressure. Stocked lakes are not as likely to have this problem.

Doug Johnson

[ToddM]

Doug brings up a very good point. Naturally reproducing lakes have to bring a fish up from an egg where stocked lakes may see fish raised to 10-20" before they are in the system.