New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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![]() Since 1992, the Division
has been stocking walleye fry and fingerlings in Swartswood Lake, Sussex County. This 494 acre lake
not only has favorable walleye habitat, but also good
forage fish species like alewives (herring) and yellow
perch. Over the first seven years more than 165,000
walleyes were stocked, but anglers provided little
feedback regarding the walleye catch. Could it be that
the fishery just wasn't developing as expected or were
the walleyes simply outsmarting the anglers?
In the spring of 1999 we set out to
investigate the status of Swartswood's walleye
population. Our objective was A total of 242 walleyes - ranging in size from 11.7 to 24.3
inches - were caught, with the largest (a female laden
with eggs) weighing in at 6.3 lbs. Only thirteen of these
fish were captured more than once. This data yielded a
population estimate of approximately 2,000 walleyes over
12 inches, just what we had expected (and hoped) to find
in this lake.
So walleyes are alive and well in Swartswood Lake. As to the lack of feedback from anglers, I venture to say this good-fighting and fine-eating sportfish has either been elusive, or their catch is a closely guarded secret among successful anglers. So visit Swartswood Lake and try to unlock the secret to this lake's new and exciting fishery. |