A Review of Walleye Management in Texas with Emphasis on Meredith Reservoir

Abstract

Management of walleyes Stizostedion vitreum in Texas, and Meredith Reservoir in particular, has a 35-year history of challenges addressed by fisheries managers. The first attempt at stocking walleyes in Texas in 1953 was unsuccessful, with no documented survival. Additional stocking in the mid-1960s resulted in some survival, particularly in Meredith Reservoir. Walleye survival and development of a fishery was highest in reservoirs where there was at least some natural reproduction. Through experimentation, it became economically feasible to develop and maintain walleye fisheries through massive fry stockings where survival was high but reproduction was limited. Evaluation of stocking success allowed adjustments in stocking procedures, that is, 1-d-old walleyes were stocked instead of 3- to 5-d-old fish. Growth of Meredith Reservoir age-1 walleyes was faster than that of northern (Iowa and New York) age-1 walleyes, although growth rates declined more rapidly as fish aged. Walleye movement and home range establishment in Meredith Reservoir were similar to that of walleyes in their native range. Texas biologists managed walleyes using only daily bag limits for the first 20 years. The first minimum length limit (407 mm) was implemented in 1987. The relative abundance of walleyes in Meredith Reservoir increased after implementation of the minimum length limit. Indications of stockpiling for fish smaller than the minimum length limit led to the implementation of a five-fish daily bag limit, with anglers being allowed to keep only two fish under 407 mm. Growth of Meredith Reservoir walleyes may be limited by environmental stressors or genetics related to the limited size of the founder population, so managers are currently trying to enhance the population's genetics through supplemental stocking of an additional walleye strain.