Pierre, S.D.-As the weather cools off and South Dakotan’s thoughts turn to hunting, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) wildlife staff are actively taking account of habitat, wildlife, and fish.
While fall is a busy time in the fields with conservation officers, making connections with hunters, anglers, and landowners statewide, GFP field staff and biologists are also hard at work conducting lake surveys across the state.
Whether working on the mammoth Lake Oahe, doing surveys on game fish and prey fish like smelt and lake herring, or working on smaller water bodies, fall survey work is imperative to ensuring lakes are properly stocked come spring.
“We really have a lot of work to do in the fall,” said GFP fisheries section chief, John Lott. “Lake surveys set the population bar on specific lakes. We need to know the type, size, and number of fish in these lakes to set our stocking schedule for next year. There is a lot of water out there, and we try to survey as much as possible every year.”
“We essentially do double duty when out surveying lakes,” Lott said. “We also have employees looking for zebra mussels or other aquatic invasive species (AIS) that may be present. While out surveying lakes in northeastern South Dakota, fisheries staff recently discovered the presence of zebra mussels on several rocks in Bullhead Lake in Marshall County.”
Going forward, GFP will consider Bullhead Lake to be positive for zebra mussels.
The information gathered from these surveys is a critical aspect of fisheries management and completed reports for each fishery can be found in the Fish Surveys, Reports, and Maps database.
“This database provides significant information to individuals interested in fisheries management,” concluded Lott. “Whether looking at their favorite waterbody or for a new hot spot, anglers can find lake survey, creel survey, and stocking reports in this database.
Additional information regarding fishing in South Dakota can be found at gfp.sd.gov/fish/.
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