VHS test results in; fish disease has not spread inland
MADISON – The potentially deadly VHS fish virus did not spread to any inland Wisconsin waters
that were tested for the virus in 2010, according to state fisheries officials. None of the fish that
Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist collected from nearly 70 lakes and rivers this
spring tested positive for viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
“We’re pleased that VHS hasn’t spread inland and we appreciate the efforts that anglers and
boaters have made to keep Wisconsin’s fish healthy,” says Mike Staggs, Wisconsin’s fisheries
director. “These results show that taking the prevention steps can contain the disease as well as
help prevent the spread of other aquatic invasive species.”
Earlier this year, Cornell University researchers reported finding VHS in Lake Superior fish
collected in summer 2009, but no fish kills were evident in that lake in 2009 or 2010 because of
VHS, and none of Wisconsin’s 2010 testing suggested the virus had spread from that massive lake
to inland lakes or streams.
“The good news is we assumed VHS was in Lake Superior when we developed the prevention
rules in 2007, and as result, inland lakes and rivers were protected,” Staggs says.
VHS can infect several dozen fish species in Wisconsin and can cause them to bleed to death; a
recent Michigan State University study shows that muskellunge are most susceptible, followed by
largemouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, Chinook salmon, and coho
salmon. The virus was first detected in Wisconsin in May 2007, when dead fish collected from the
Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan systems were tested and were positive for the virus. Lake
Michigan fish again tested positive for the virus in 2008 and 2009. Information on VHS Distribution
in Wisconsin is available on the DNR website.
2010 monitoring and hatchery system testing results
Wisconsin DNR tests fish for VHS for several different reasons: “surveillance” testing to learn
where the virus is present and whether it’s spread; to learn if the wild fish DNR uses to get eggs for
state fish hatcheries have the virus; and before stocking fish back into lakes or rivers, according to
Nick Legler, a fish health biologist who coordinated the VHS surveillance testing.
DNR also tests fish for VHS as part of investigating fish kills that occur in lakes or rivers, and to
respond to anglers who report seeing fish with signs of VHS such as hemorrhages on the skin or
internal organs, bulging eyes, and bloated abdomens.
DNR’s 2010 surveillance testing was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and involved DNR crews collecting 3,586 fish from 27 inland lakes and rivers
throughout Wisconsin. The fish were all collected between March 24 and May 27, before the water
temperatures rose above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the goal was to get a total of 150 fish from
each water body of various species susceptible to the virus.
The fish were sent to one of three laboratories for testing: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service La
Crosse Fish Health Center in Onalaska; the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in
Madison, and Micro Technologies in Richmond, Me.
Fish were tested from waters including Lake Monona in Dane County, Lac Courte Oreilles in
Sawyer County, Shawano Lake in Shawano County, and Brule River Flowage in Florence County,
and Rock Lake in Jefferson County.
The hatchery system testing was coordinated by Sue Marcquenski, DNR fish health specialist. The
wild fish DNR collected eggs from for its hatchery operations were tested for VHS and other
viruses. The resulting offspring of these fish were also tested for viruses about before they were
transferred from DNR hatcheries into lakes or rivers. VHS was not detected in any fish from the
state hatcheries.
Marcquenski said the wild broodfish are tested to find out whether they carry any virus that could
be transmitted to other fish in the hatcheries. Their offspring are tested because at most DNR
hatcheries, the fish are raised in outdoor facilities where they are exposed to birds, amphibians
and mammals that can move fish pathogens from one place to another. “To be sure that the fish in
the hatcheries are free of serious diseases, we test them for viruses about one month before they
are stocked,” she says.
All boats required to operate at slow-no-wake within 100 feet of shoreline
MADISON – A new boating rule in Wisconsin is designed to make lakes safer while protecting
shorelines and improving water quality. The law prohibits boaters from operating their boats at
speeds greater than slow-no-wake within 100 feet of lake shorelines.
The law applies to all lakes, including the lake areas of flowages.
“The law will make it safer for people wading, swimming or fishing near shore, and it should help
reduce conflicts between near-shore recreationists and boaters,” said Scott Bowe, a Department
of Natural Resources conservation warden in Chippewa County.
Moreover, boats operating in shallow waters often churn up sediment and chop up vegetation,
decreasing water quality, and potentially spreading invasive aquatic species like Eurasian water-
milfoil. Slowing these boats will reduce this problem. In addition, eliminating near shore wakes will
reduce shoreline erosion.
This change is in addition to current law which already prohibits boaters on lakes from operating at
speeds greater than slow-no-wake within 100 feet of docks, rafts, piers and buoyed restricted
areas.
Personal watercraft (PWC) operators must also follow these laws in addition to speed restrictions
that apply specifically to PWCs. PWC operators cannot operate at a speed greater than slow-no-
wake within 200 feet of the shoreline of any lake. They also are required to cut back to slow-no-
wake speed when passing within 100 feet of other boats, including other PWCs. This law applies to
both rivers and lakes.
Slow-no-wake is defined as the minimum speed required to maintain steerage. Speed violations
are the primary source of boating complaints in the summer. Speed is also a frequent cause of
boat crashes, especially at night, Bowe said.
People operating boats at night need to slow down to avoid colliding with people, boats or
structures lawfully on the water. Running lights are required from sunset to sunrise.
When on unfamiliar waters, boaters are responsible for knowing all the rules. This means checking
at boat ramps for local ordinances that might further regulate boating on that body of water.
More information about boating safety and Wisconsin Boating Regulations (pdf; 9.6kb) are
available on the DNR website.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Conservation Warden Scott Bowe, Chippewa Falls, (715)
239-6586 or communications specialist Ed Culhane, (715) 839-3715
Updated trout stocking numbers available
MADISON – Updated information on where and how many legal-sized trout were stocked this
spring for the 2010 inland fishing season are now available online on the “Catchable-size Trout
Stocking 2010" page of the Department of Natural Resources website.
The numbers and locations where the fish were stocked now reflect fish stocked from the
Lakewood Rearing Station as well as from the Nevin Fish Hatchery, Osceola Fish Hatchery and St.
Croix Falls Hatchery. The Lakewood numbers were not included in those totals posted to the web
on April 20.
The majority of Wisconsin’s 10,000 miles of trout streams are self-sustaining, and fish managers
are predicting a banner year for wild trout in many waters, according to forecasts in the 2010
Wisconsin Fishing Report.
But the DNR stocks some waters that cannot naturally sustain fish populations overwinter to
provide additional fishing opportunities, and these so-called put-and-take waters have traditionally
been popular fisheries.
Additional fish were raised and stocked through cooperative rearing agreements with fishing clubs,
and about 70,000 fish were stocked in urban fishing waters, small lakes and ponds cooperatively
managed with the local municipality and used as a place for fishing clinics and kids fishing.
The trout stocked are between 16 and 18 months old and are typically at least 9 inches long. The
DNR tries to make sure that 80 to 90 percent of these fish are legal size or better.
Late shifts scramble stocking
A number of vacancies and the confirmation earlier this year of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in fish
from Lake Superior forced late shifts in fish production and stocking. As a result, many northern
inland waters originally planned to get brook and rainbow trout did not get them.
Southeastern waters normally stocked with brown trout and rainbow trout are getting more
rainbows this year and no brown trout. A combination of factors led to fewer browns produced by
hatcheries this year for stocking, according to Sue Beyler, fisheries supervisor based in Waukesha.
“Because we had a slight surplus of rainbows available from our hatcheries, we were able to
replace normal brown trout stocking with at least some rainbows in Waubesse Lake in Racine
County, Rock Lake in Kenosha County and Lake Beulah in Walworth County,” says Beyler.
Fewer brown trout resulted in no trout being stocked in Meyer Pond in Sheboygan County, she
says.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Al Kaas (608) 267-7865; Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796
Walleye bag limits adjusted for Ceded Territory lakes
MADISON - Daily walleye bag limits have been revised on 530 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded
Territory in response to harvest declarations made by six bands of Chippewa in Wisconsin, the
state Department of Natural Resources has announced. These bag limits are effective between
May 1, 2010 and March 6, 2011, inclusive.
There will be a three walleye bag limit for sport anglers on 190 lakes, and a two-fish daily bag limit
on 340 lakes, unless they are adjusted upwards later in the season for lakes lightly or not speared.
Most off-reservation Chippewa tribal harvest takes places during the spring spearfishing season.
Tribal spearers typically have harvested walleye from 170-180 lakes annually, regardless of the
number of lakes initially declared. DNR will review tribal harvest following the spring spearfishing
season and may revise bag limits upwards on lakes lightly or not speared. An administrative rule
passed by the state Natural Resources Board in 1998 allows the department to adjust initial bag
limits to reflect actual spring spearing harvest and projected summer harvests.
The adjusted walleye bag limits [PDF] are available in portable document format on the DNR Web
site. They will also be posted to the fishing regulations page of the DNR Fishing Wisconsin Web
site and are being published as an insert to the 2010-2011 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line
Fishing Regulations. Lakes not listed are subject to the regulations printed in the regulations
pamphlet. Anglers should check the regulations for special size and bag limits that are in effect on
specific waters.
The 175 lakes declared by the Lac du Flambeau Band have a daily bag limit of three walleye for
sport anglers. The DNR and the Lac du Flambeau Band have an agreement giving the Band
authority to sell fishing licenses in return for making declarations at a level that allows a three
walleye per day recreational angler bag limit.
As part of a 1983 federal Appellate Court decision affirming Chippewa off-reservation hunting,
fishing, and gathering rights, the six bands of Wisconsin Chippewa set annual harvest quotas for
off-reservation lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory. As part of court agreements, the
Department of Natural Resources reduces bag limits for recreational hook and line anglers in lakes
declared for harvest by the Chippewa bands to assure the combined tribal and recreational angler
harvest does not jeopardize the ability of walleye to sustain its population in any lake.
For background information on Chippewa treaty rights, a description of the management and
monitoring system used to ensure the long term viability of fisheries in the Ceded Territory, and to
see data collected as part of that monitoring system, including walleye population estimates and
creel survey summaries for all game fish, see the DNR Bureau of Fisheries Management Internet
pages regarding the joint tribal and recreational fishery in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurel Steffes (608) 266-8109 or Joe Hennessy (608) 267-
9427
New DNR Lake Michigan research ship boost for fisheries
MANITOWOC – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank and Burger
Boat Company today signed a contract for the construction of a 60-foot research vessel to support
expanded study and survey work of the Lake Michigan fishery.
“This day is the result of tremendous partnerships and efforts, and the dedication of many,” Frank
said at a morning news conference at the local company’s shipyard at the Port of Manitowoc. “This
new boat, made by this nearly 150-year-old Wisconsin manufacturer, will be a state-of-the-art
vessel with features to support expanded work by our fisheries experts of Lake Michigan.”
Burger Boat Company president James Ruffolo participated in the ceremonial signing. Founded in
1863, Burger Boat Company is the oldest custom yacht builder in the nation and the oldest
functioning company in the city.
“This is a big day for Wisconsin’s $13 billion tourism industry which includes the very popular sport
fishery of Lake Michigan, our licensed commercial fishing operations and their employees and the
science of healthy resources and water,” Frank said.
Named after the fish genus that includes lake whitefish, lake herring and bloater chubs, the new
RV Coregonus will be capable of gill netting and allowing fisheries staff to continue the work done
on the previous research ship – the RV Barney Devine.
However, the RV Coregonus also have expanded features including onboard laboratory
equipment, water tight compartments and a semi-planning hull along with capabilities for scuba
operations.
The Coregonus was designed by SeaCraft Design in Sturgeon Bay and will be built by Burger Boat
Company for a cost of $1.9 million. Funding for the boat will come primarily from license revenues
placed in the segregated fisheries account with an additional $500,000 from the Salmon Stamp
revenues.
“Although the RV Barney Devine was well-maintained, it is now nearly 75 years old and become
technologically obsolete with an increasing maintenance expense,” Frank said of the previous
research ship also built by Burger Boat. “There have been many advances in fisheries research
since 1937 and the old boat is not longer suitable. The new vessel also will incorporate many
safety features and improve vessel and crew safety.”
DNR fisheries staff worked closely with SeaCraft to develop the design that would maintain the
ability to use gill nets during all seasons but in the most extreme sea conditions, while expanding
its capabilities for research. Its capabilities include trawling and deploying hydro-acoustic
equipment.
The Barney Devine had a top speed of less than 10 knots, which meant a travel time from
Sturgeon Bay to Milwaukee of 15 to 16 hours. The Coregonus will be able to travel 20 knots,
decreasing the travel time and increasing efficiency.
The Coregonus, which the company anticipates to build with current employees, is expected to be
ready for use in 2011.
Sport fishing in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior generated $419 million in
economic activity and supported 5,000 jobs in Wisconsin alone, based on a comprehensive survey
conducted in 2006 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the
Census and an economic analysis done by the American Sportfishing Association.
Wisconsin also sustains a commercial fishery with about 60 licensed commercial operations on
Lake Michigan and a smaller number on Lake Superior.
2010 Wisconsin Fishing Report offers latest fishing forecasts, tips for success
MADISON – Time to start planning that first fishing trip for the coming inland fishing season.
The 2010 Wisconsin Fishing Report is now available online and is loaded with fishing forecasts
from waters across the state, helping anglers find the kind of fishing experience they most enjoy.
The report is available at Department of Natural Resources service centers and regional offices,
and will be inserted in the April edition of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, which may
be purchased online.
The regular inland season opens May 1; fishing licenses for the 2010-2011 season are now
available online, from license sales agents, and from DNR service centers and regional offices.
“It’s time to get back out on the water,” says DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “We hope our annual
Fishing Report can help lure even more people out to enjoy what’s a great Wisconsin tradition and
a great activity to do with family and friends.”
The report features 10 pages of forecasts submitted by local fish biologists and technicians, most
of whom report the results of recent fish population surveys, habitat improvement projects, and
what both will mean for fishing prospects in the coming season.
The report also contains a variety of tips to help anglers improve their success fishing, including
articles that will help anglers conquer the Mighty Mississippi, which offers the greatest variety of
sport fishes anywhere in Wisconsin and features year-round open season for most of them.
New this year: a “flip book” format that makes the publication easier to read online, and archived
versions of the report dating back to 2006.
“Our 2010 report contains more of the information anglers ask us for: Where the big fish are,
where the best action is, and what they can expect from their favorite fishing hole,” says Karl
Scheidegger, a Department of Natural Resources fish biologist who leads DNR’s fisheries’
outreach efforts and was the report’s primary editor and graphic designer.
Scheidegger hopes that after reading the report, anglers will take a few minutes to answer a short
online survey.
“We're always looking for ways to improve the report,” he says. “Let us know what you think and
how we can make it even better.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Scheidegger (608) 267-9426
Minnow harvest ban, other VHS fish disease rules in effect on Lake Superior
MADISON – News that traces of vhs fish disease have been found in low levels in fish from some
parts of Lake Superior won’t change state VHS rules but underscores the need for anglers,
boaters and bait harvesters to follow those rules, state fisheries officials say.
Key among those rules is a ban on harvesting minnows from Lake Superior and tributaries up to
the first dam impassable by fish, and requirements that no live fish moved away from a lake or river.
“VHS is a very serious fish disease with the potential to kill a lot of fish,” says Mike Staggs,
Wisconsin’s fisheries director.”Cornell’s findings really highlight the need for everybody to continue
taking the steps to prevent spreading this VHS to our inland lakes and rivers.”
Cornell University researchers on Jan. 27, 2010, announced that they had found genetic material
of the virus in low levels in fish from four of seven areas tested in Lake Superior, including the
Duluth-Superior Harbor. VHS, which stands for viral hemorrhagic septicemia, is not a human health
risk but can infect dozens of native fish species and can cause them to bleed to death.
Wisconsin included Lake Superior and its connecting waters in rules originally passed in 2007 and
made permanent in 2008 in its definition of waters infected by VHS. Lake Superior is connected to
waters which already had the virus at the time.
Bait harvest is prohibited in infected waters, in addition to the other statewide rules. “Infected
waters” are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the Winnebago System and the Mississippi River, and
all of their connecting waters up to the first dam impassable to fish. A listing of all affected waters
can be found online.
Under VHS statewide rules:
•Minnow harvesting of any kind is not allowed on any VHS affected waters (including Lake Superior
and tributaries).
•All anglers and boaters statewide are required to drain all water from the fishing and boating
equipment when leaving the lake or entering the state (except drinking water and a small amount
of water to move minnows as described below).
•All anglers statewide may not move live fish or fish eggs away from any water with the exception of
minnows purchased from a registered Wisconsin bait dealer and used under certain condition.
Such leftover minnows can be used again on the same water, or they can be used elsewhere if the
angler did not add lake or river water or other fish to their bait container.
•Use of dead fish for bait is not allowed except on the waters from which they were taken or if they
were preserved by a method that does not require freezing or refrigeration.
VHS found in Lake Superior fish
Michigan, Wisconsin not planning regulation changes in Lake Superior based on findings of
Cornell University
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources today said the recent finding by a Cornell University research team of traces
of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHS) in fish inhabiting Lake Superior would not lead to any
immediate regulation changes for anglers or boaters.
Cornell University reported in a press release today that they had found trace amounts of VHS
virus in organ samples taken from a small number of healthy fish in four sites in Lake Superior.
The news release [exit DNR] is available on Cornell University's Web site.
“We appreciate the efforts of Cornell University to help better understand this disease, but we also
want to caution anglers and others who enjoy Lake Superior that this does not mean there has
been a widespread outbreak of VHS in those waters,” said Michigan DNRE Director Rebecca
Humphries. “What this study does indicate is that VHS has been observed in four locations in Lake
Superior, but it is not everywhere. Based on this limited finding, Michigan is not planning to make
any changes in its regulations at this time.”
Wisconsin DNR Secretary Matt Frank said that Wisconsin’s strong VHS protections were already
set with Lake Superior in mind. “We’re disappointed with Cornell’s finding, but not surprised. The
good news is that our VHS rules for boaters and anglers stay the same and will continue to protect
our inland waters. We included Lake Superior when we originally passed regulations in 2007
because it’s directly connected to waters that already had the virus present. We appreciate the
efforts of Wisconsin boaters and anglers who comply.”
The Cornell University-led research team spent several days in June collecting and sampling
healthy fish in Lake Superior. Nearly 900 fish were collected from the lake, and a new screening
tool used by the team found a preliminary positive result for VHS in a small number of fish collected
from four points in the Lake Superior basin – Paradise/Whitefish Point, Chippewa County,
Michigan; Skanee in Huron Bay in Baraga County, Michigan; Superior Bay near Duluth, Minnesota;
and St. Louis Bay, also near Duluth. The only location that had a VHS sample confirmed as
positive was at Paradise/Whitefish Point where VHS was confirmed in one sample from a yellow
perch. Not all of the samples from this site, however, were confirmed to have VHS.
Humphries said the finding is not surprising, adding that finding a VHS-positive fish at the east end
of the Lake Superior basin is where biologists have long thought a positive would be found first --
near the St. Mary’s River, which connects the basin to Lake Huron, a VHS-affected lake.
“VHS remains a threat to all the Great Lakes, and we will increase our efforts to slow the spread
through public awareness of the simple things boaters and anglers can do to help,” Humphries
said.
Frank said that the result underscores the importance of anglers and boaters taking required and
appropriate steps to stop the further spread of VHS within Lake Superior itself, and to inland
waters. “VHS has not gone away - whether you are boating or fishing in Wisconsin or Michigan,
you should drain all water from your bilge, live well or bait bucket, and never take live fish away
from any water,” said Frank.
Humphries and Frank said their agencies will continue collecting and testing fish for VHS in Lake
Superior. Both states have been collecting samples of fish from Lake Superior for the last 3 years,
and neither state has yet found any fish positive for VHS using rigorous, confirmatory testing
procedures.
Anglers and boaters who recreate on Lake Superior can help both the Michigan DNRE and
Wisconsin DNR by reporting any significant fish kills they encounter on Lake Superior to the
agencies. Also, anglers and boaters should drain their livewells and bilge as they exit a lake. Boats
should regularly be cleaned and disinfected after use, as well as any boating and fishing
equipment.
Both states prohibit release of unused minnows back into the water. Unused bait should be
disposed of on land or in a trash can. Also, both states prohibit the transfer of live fish from one
lake to another without appropriate permits. Wisconsin has additional rules relating to the
movement of live fish and the use and possession of live minnows.
Copyright© 2006 - 2010 BobberStop.com
MADISON – The potentially deadly VHS fish virus did not spread to any inland Wisconsin waters
that were tested for the virus in 2010, according to state fisheries officials. None of the fish that
Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist collected from nearly 70 lakes and rivers this
spring tested positive for viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
“We’re pleased that VHS hasn’t spread inland and we appreciate the efforts that anglers and
boaters have made to keep Wisconsin’s fish healthy,” says Mike Staggs, Wisconsin’s fisheries
director. “These results show that taking the prevention steps can contain the disease as well as
help prevent the spread of other aquatic invasive species.”
Earlier this year, Cornell University researchers reported finding VHS in Lake Superior fish
collected in summer 2009, but no fish kills were evident in that lake in 2009 or 2010 because of
VHS, and none of Wisconsin’s 2010 testing suggested the virus had spread from that massive lake
to inland lakes or streams.
“The good news is we assumed VHS was in Lake Superior when we developed the prevention
rules in 2007, and as result, inland lakes and rivers were protected,” Staggs says.
VHS can infect several dozen fish species in Wisconsin and can cause them to bleed to death; a
recent Michigan State University study shows that muskellunge are most susceptible, followed by
largemouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, Chinook salmon, and coho
salmon. The virus was first detected in Wisconsin in May 2007, when dead fish collected from the
Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan systems were tested and were positive for the virus. Lake
Michigan fish again tested positive for the virus in 2008 and 2009. Information on VHS Distribution
in Wisconsin is available on the DNR website.
2010 monitoring and hatchery system testing results
Wisconsin DNR tests fish for VHS for several different reasons: “surveillance” testing to learn
where the virus is present and whether it’s spread; to learn if the wild fish DNR uses to get eggs for
state fish hatcheries have the virus; and before stocking fish back into lakes or rivers, according to
Nick Legler, a fish health biologist who coordinated the VHS surveillance testing.
DNR also tests fish for VHS as part of investigating fish kills that occur in lakes or rivers, and to
respond to anglers who report seeing fish with signs of VHS such as hemorrhages on the skin or
internal organs, bulging eyes, and bloated abdomens.
DNR’s 2010 surveillance testing was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and involved DNR crews collecting 3,586 fish from 27 inland lakes and rivers
throughout Wisconsin. The fish were all collected between March 24 and May 27, before the water
temperatures rose above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the goal was to get a total of 150 fish from
each water body of various species susceptible to the virus.
The fish were sent to one of three laboratories for testing: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service La
Crosse Fish Health Center in Onalaska; the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in
Madison, and Micro Technologies in Richmond, Me.
Fish were tested from waters including Lake Monona in Dane County, Lac Courte Oreilles in
Sawyer County, Shawano Lake in Shawano County, and Brule River Flowage in Florence County,
and Rock Lake in Jefferson County.
The hatchery system testing was coordinated by Sue Marcquenski, DNR fish health specialist. The
wild fish DNR collected eggs from for its hatchery operations were tested for VHS and other
viruses. The resulting offspring of these fish were also tested for viruses about before they were
transferred from DNR hatcheries into lakes or rivers. VHS was not detected in any fish from the
state hatcheries.
Marcquenski said the wild broodfish are tested to find out whether they carry any virus that could
be transmitted to other fish in the hatcheries. Their offspring are tested because at most DNR
hatcheries, the fish are raised in outdoor facilities where they are exposed to birds, amphibians
and mammals that can move fish pathogens from one place to another. “To be sure that the fish in
the hatcheries are free of serious diseases, we test them for viruses about one month before they
are stocked,” she says.
All boats required to operate at slow-no-wake within 100 feet of shoreline
MADISON – A new boating rule in Wisconsin is designed to make lakes safer while protecting
shorelines and improving water quality. The law prohibits boaters from operating their boats at
speeds greater than slow-no-wake within 100 feet of lake shorelines.
The law applies to all lakes, including the lake areas of flowages.
“The law will make it safer for people wading, swimming or fishing near shore, and it should help
reduce conflicts between near-shore recreationists and boaters,” said Scott Bowe, a Department
of Natural Resources conservation warden in Chippewa County.
Moreover, boats operating in shallow waters often churn up sediment and chop up vegetation,
decreasing water quality, and potentially spreading invasive aquatic species like Eurasian water-
milfoil. Slowing these boats will reduce this problem. In addition, eliminating near shore wakes will
reduce shoreline erosion.
This change is in addition to current law which already prohibits boaters on lakes from operating at
speeds greater than slow-no-wake within 100 feet of docks, rafts, piers and buoyed restricted
areas.
Personal watercraft (PWC) operators must also follow these laws in addition to speed restrictions
that apply specifically to PWCs. PWC operators cannot operate at a speed greater than slow-no-
wake within 200 feet of the shoreline of any lake. They also are required to cut back to slow-no-
wake speed when passing within 100 feet of other boats, including other PWCs. This law applies to
both rivers and lakes.
Slow-no-wake is defined as the minimum speed required to maintain steerage. Speed violations
are the primary source of boating complaints in the summer. Speed is also a frequent cause of
boat crashes, especially at night, Bowe said.
People operating boats at night need to slow down to avoid colliding with people, boats or
structures lawfully on the water. Running lights are required from sunset to sunrise.
When on unfamiliar waters, boaters are responsible for knowing all the rules. This means checking
at boat ramps for local ordinances that might further regulate boating on that body of water.
More information about boating safety and Wisconsin Boating Regulations (pdf; 9.6kb) are
available on the DNR website.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Conservation Warden Scott Bowe, Chippewa Falls, (715)
239-6586 or communications specialist Ed Culhane, (715) 839-3715
Updated trout stocking numbers available
MADISON – Updated information on where and how many legal-sized trout were stocked this
spring for the 2010 inland fishing season are now available online on the “Catchable-size Trout
Stocking 2010" page of the Department of Natural Resources website.
The numbers and locations where the fish were stocked now reflect fish stocked from the
Lakewood Rearing Station as well as from the Nevin Fish Hatchery, Osceola Fish Hatchery and St.
Croix Falls Hatchery. The Lakewood numbers were not included in those totals posted to the web
on April 20.
The majority of Wisconsin’s 10,000 miles of trout streams are self-sustaining, and fish managers
are predicting a banner year for wild trout in many waters, according to forecasts in the 2010
Wisconsin Fishing Report.
But the DNR stocks some waters that cannot naturally sustain fish populations overwinter to
provide additional fishing opportunities, and these so-called put-and-take waters have traditionally
been popular fisheries.
Additional fish were raised and stocked through cooperative rearing agreements with fishing clubs,
and about 70,000 fish were stocked in urban fishing waters, small lakes and ponds cooperatively
managed with the local municipality and used as a place for fishing clinics and kids fishing.
The trout stocked are between 16 and 18 months old and are typically at least 9 inches long. The
DNR tries to make sure that 80 to 90 percent of these fish are legal size or better.
Late shifts scramble stocking
A number of vacancies and the confirmation earlier this year of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in fish
from Lake Superior forced late shifts in fish production and stocking. As a result, many northern
inland waters originally planned to get brook and rainbow trout did not get them.
Southeastern waters normally stocked with brown trout and rainbow trout are getting more
rainbows this year and no brown trout. A combination of factors led to fewer browns produced by
hatcheries this year for stocking, according to Sue Beyler, fisheries supervisor based in Waukesha.
“Because we had a slight surplus of rainbows available from our hatcheries, we were able to
replace normal brown trout stocking with at least some rainbows in Waubesse Lake in Racine
County, Rock Lake in Kenosha County and Lake Beulah in Walworth County,” says Beyler.
Fewer brown trout resulted in no trout being stocked in Meyer Pond in Sheboygan County, she
says.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Al Kaas (608) 267-7865; Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796
Walleye bag limits adjusted for Ceded Territory lakes
MADISON - Daily walleye bag limits have been revised on 530 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded
Territory in response to harvest declarations made by six bands of Chippewa in Wisconsin, the
state Department of Natural Resources has announced. These bag limits are effective between
May 1, 2010 and March 6, 2011, inclusive.
There will be a three walleye bag limit for sport anglers on 190 lakes, and a two-fish daily bag limit
on 340 lakes, unless they are adjusted upwards later in the season for lakes lightly or not speared.
Most off-reservation Chippewa tribal harvest takes places during the spring spearfishing season.
Tribal spearers typically have harvested walleye from 170-180 lakes annually, regardless of the
number of lakes initially declared. DNR will review tribal harvest following the spring spearfishing
season and may revise bag limits upwards on lakes lightly or not speared. An administrative rule
passed by the state Natural Resources Board in 1998 allows the department to adjust initial bag
limits to reflect actual spring spearing harvest and projected summer harvests.
The adjusted walleye bag limits [PDF] are available in portable document format on the DNR Web
site. They will also be posted to the fishing regulations page of the DNR Fishing Wisconsin Web
site and are being published as an insert to the 2010-2011 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line
Fishing Regulations. Lakes not listed are subject to the regulations printed in the regulations
pamphlet. Anglers should check the regulations for special size and bag limits that are in effect on
specific waters.
The 175 lakes declared by the Lac du Flambeau Band have a daily bag limit of three walleye for
sport anglers. The DNR and the Lac du Flambeau Band have an agreement giving the Band
authority to sell fishing licenses in return for making declarations at a level that allows a three
walleye per day recreational angler bag limit.
As part of a 1983 federal Appellate Court decision affirming Chippewa off-reservation hunting,
fishing, and gathering rights, the six bands of Wisconsin Chippewa set annual harvest quotas for
off-reservation lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory. As part of court agreements, the
Department of Natural Resources reduces bag limits for recreational hook and line anglers in lakes
declared for harvest by the Chippewa bands to assure the combined tribal and recreational angler
harvest does not jeopardize the ability of walleye to sustain its population in any lake.
For background information on Chippewa treaty rights, a description of the management and
monitoring system used to ensure the long term viability of fisheries in the Ceded Territory, and to
see data collected as part of that monitoring system, including walleye population estimates and
creel survey summaries for all game fish, see the DNR Bureau of Fisheries Management Internet
pages regarding the joint tribal and recreational fishery in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurel Steffes (608) 266-8109 or Joe Hennessy (608) 267-
9427
New DNR Lake Michigan research ship boost for fisheries
MANITOWOC – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank and Burger
Boat Company today signed a contract for the construction of a 60-foot research vessel to support
expanded study and survey work of the Lake Michigan fishery.
“This day is the result of tremendous partnerships and efforts, and the dedication of many,” Frank
said at a morning news conference at the local company’s shipyard at the Port of Manitowoc. “This
new boat, made by this nearly 150-year-old Wisconsin manufacturer, will be a state-of-the-art
vessel with features to support expanded work by our fisheries experts of Lake Michigan.”
Burger Boat Company president James Ruffolo participated in the ceremonial signing. Founded in
1863, Burger Boat Company is the oldest custom yacht builder in the nation and the oldest
functioning company in the city.
“This is a big day for Wisconsin’s $13 billion tourism industry which includes the very popular sport
fishery of Lake Michigan, our licensed commercial fishing operations and their employees and the
science of healthy resources and water,” Frank said.
Named after the fish genus that includes lake whitefish, lake herring and bloater chubs, the new
RV Coregonus will be capable of gill netting and allowing fisheries staff to continue the work done
on the previous research ship – the RV Barney Devine.
However, the RV Coregonus also have expanded features including onboard laboratory
equipment, water tight compartments and a semi-planning hull along with capabilities for scuba
operations.
The Coregonus was designed by SeaCraft Design in Sturgeon Bay and will be built by Burger Boat
Company for a cost of $1.9 million. Funding for the boat will come primarily from license revenues
placed in the segregated fisheries account with an additional $500,000 from the Salmon Stamp
revenues.
“Although the RV Barney Devine was well-maintained, it is now nearly 75 years old and become
technologically obsolete with an increasing maintenance expense,” Frank said of the previous
research ship also built by Burger Boat. “There have been many advances in fisheries research
since 1937 and the old boat is not longer suitable. The new vessel also will incorporate many
safety features and improve vessel and crew safety.”
DNR fisheries staff worked closely with SeaCraft to develop the design that would maintain the
ability to use gill nets during all seasons but in the most extreme sea conditions, while expanding
its capabilities for research. Its capabilities include trawling and deploying hydro-acoustic
equipment.
The Barney Devine had a top speed of less than 10 knots, which meant a travel time from
Sturgeon Bay to Milwaukee of 15 to 16 hours. The Coregonus will be able to travel 20 knots,
decreasing the travel time and increasing efficiency.
The Coregonus, which the company anticipates to build with current employees, is expected to be
ready for use in 2011.
Sport fishing in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior generated $419 million in
economic activity and supported 5,000 jobs in Wisconsin alone, based on a comprehensive survey
conducted in 2006 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the
Census and an economic analysis done by the American Sportfishing Association.
Wisconsin also sustains a commercial fishery with about 60 licensed commercial operations on
Lake Michigan and a smaller number on Lake Superior.
2010 Wisconsin Fishing Report offers latest fishing forecasts, tips for success
MADISON – Time to start planning that first fishing trip for the coming inland fishing season.
The 2010 Wisconsin Fishing Report is now available online and is loaded with fishing forecasts
from waters across the state, helping anglers find the kind of fishing experience they most enjoy.
The report is available at Department of Natural Resources service centers and regional offices,
and will be inserted in the April edition of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, which may
be purchased online.
The regular inland season opens May 1; fishing licenses for the 2010-2011 season are now
available online, from license sales agents, and from DNR service centers and regional offices.
“It’s time to get back out on the water,” says DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “We hope our annual
Fishing Report can help lure even more people out to enjoy what’s a great Wisconsin tradition and
a great activity to do with family and friends.”
The report features 10 pages of forecasts submitted by local fish biologists and technicians, most
of whom report the results of recent fish population surveys, habitat improvement projects, and
what both will mean for fishing prospects in the coming season.
The report also contains a variety of tips to help anglers improve their success fishing, including
articles that will help anglers conquer the Mighty Mississippi, which offers the greatest variety of
sport fishes anywhere in Wisconsin and features year-round open season for most of them.
New this year: a “flip book” format that makes the publication easier to read online, and archived
versions of the report dating back to 2006.
“Our 2010 report contains more of the information anglers ask us for: Where the big fish are,
where the best action is, and what they can expect from their favorite fishing hole,” says Karl
Scheidegger, a Department of Natural Resources fish biologist who leads DNR’s fisheries’
outreach efforts and was the report’s primary editor and graphic designer.
Scheidegger hopes that after reading the report, anglers will take a few minutes to answer a short
online survey.
“We're always looking for ways to improve the report,” he says. “Let us know what you think and
how we can make it even better.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Scheidegger (608) 267-9426
Minnow harvest ban, other VHS fish disease rules in effect on Lake Superior
MADISON – News that traces of vhs fish disease have been found in low levels in fish from some
parts of Lake Superior won’t change state VHS rules but underscores the need for anglers,
boaters and bait harvesters to follow those rules, state fisheries officials say.
Key among those rules is a ban on harvesting minnows from Lake Superior and tributaries up to
the first dam impassable by fish, and requirements that no live fish moved away from a lake or river.
“VHS is a very serious fish disease with the potential to kill a lot of fish,” says Mike Staggs,
Wisconsin’s fisheries director.”Cornell’s findings really highlight the need for everybody to continue
taking the steps to prevent spreading this VHS to our inland lakes and rivers.”
Cornell University researchers on Jan. 27, 2010, announced that they had found genetic material
of the virus in low levels in fish from four of seven areas tested in Lake Superior, including the
Duluth-Superior Harbor. VHS, which stands for viral hemorrhagic septicemia, is not a human health
risk but can infect dozens of native fish species and can cause them to bleed to death.
Wisconsin included Lake Superior and its connecting waters in rules originally passed in 2007 and
made permanent in 2008 in its definition of waters infected by VHS. Lake Superior is connected to
waters which already had the virus at the time.
Bait harvest is prohibited in infected waters, in addition to the other statewide rules. “Infected
waters” are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the Winnebago System and the Mississippi River, and
all of their connecting waters up to the first dam impassable to fish. A listing of all affected waters
can be found online.
Under VHS statewide rules:
•Minnow harvesting of any kind is not allowed on any VHS affected waters (including Lake Superior
and tributaries).
•All anglers and boaters statewide are required to drain all water from the fishing and boating
equipment when leaving the lake or entering the state (except drinking water and a small amount
of water to move minnows as described below).
•All anglers statewide may not move live fish or fish eggs away from any water with the exception of
minnows purchased from a registered Wisconsin bait dealer and used under certain condition.
Such leftover minnows can be used again on the same water, or they can be used elsewhere if the
angler did not add lake or river water or other fish to their bait container.
•Use of dead fish for bait is not allowed except on the waters from which they were taken or if they
were preserved by a method that does not require freezing or refrigeration.
VHS found in Lake Superior fish
Michigan, Wisconsin not planning regulation changes in Lake Superior based on findings of
Cornell University
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources today said the recent finding by a Cornell University research team of traces
of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHS) in fish inhabiting Lake Superior would not lead to any
immediate regulation changes for anglers or boaters.
Cornell University reported in a press release today that they had found trace amounts of VHS
virus in organ samples taken from a small number of healthy fish in four sites in Lake Superior.
The news release [exit DNR] is available on Cornell University's Web site.
“We appreciate the efforts of Cornell University to help better understand this disease, but we also
want to caution anglers and others who enjoy Lake Superior that this does not mean there has
been a widespread outbreak of VHS in those waters,” said Michigan DNRE Director Rebecca
Humphries. “What this study does indicate is that VHS has been observed in four locations in Lake
Superior, but it is not everywhere. Based on this limited finding, Michigan is not planning to make
any changes in its regulations at this time.”
Wisconsin DNR Secretary Matt Frank said that Wisconsin’s strong VHS protections were already
set with Lake Superior in mind. “We’re disappointed with Cornell’s finding, but not surprised. The
good news is that our VHS rules for boaters and anglers stay the same and will continue to protect
our inland waters. We included Lake Superior when we originally passed regulations in 2007
because it’s directly connected to waters that already had the virus present. We appreciate the
efforts of Wisconsin boaters and anglers who comply.”
The Cornell University-led research team spent several days in June collecting and sampling
healthy fish in Lake Superior. Nearly 900 fish were collected from the lake, and a new screening
tool used by the team found a preliminary positive result for VHS in a small number of fish collected
from four points in the Lake Superior basin – Paradise/Whitefish Point, Chippewa County,
Michigan; Skanee in Huron Bay in Baraga County, Michigan; Superior Bay near Duluth, Minnesota;
and St. Louis Bay, also near Duluth. The only location that had a VHS sample confirmed as
positive was at Paradise/Whitefish Point where VHS was confirmed in one sample from a yellow
perch. Not all of the samples from this site, however, were confirmed to have VHS.
Humphries said the finding is not surprising, adding that finding a VHS-positive fish at the east end
of the Lake Superior basin is where biologists have long thought a positive would be found first --
near the St. Mary’s River, which connects the basin to Lake Huron, a VHS-affected lake.
“VHS remains a threat to all the Great Lakes, and we will increase our efforts to slow the spread
through public awareness of the simple things boaters and anglers can do to help,” Humphries
said.
Frank said that the result underscores the importance of anglers and boaters taking required and
appropriate steps to stop the further spread of VHS within Lake Superior itself, and to inland
waters. “VHS has not gone away - whether you are boating or fishing in Wisconsin or Michigan,
you should drain all water from your bilge, live well or bait bucket, and never take live fish away
from any water,” said Frank.
Humphries and Frank said their agencies will continue collecting and testing fish for VHS in Lake
Superior. Both states have been collecting samples of fish from Lake Superior for the last 3 years,
and neither state has yet found any fish positive for VHS using rigorous, confirmatory testing
procedures.
Anglers and boaters who recreate on Lake Superior can help both the Michigan DNRE and
Wisconsin DNR by reporting any significant fish kills they encounter on Lake Superior to the
agencies. Also, anglers and boaters should drain their livewells and bilge as they exit a lake. Boats
should regularly be cleaned and disinfected after use, as well as any boating and fishing
equipment.
Both states prohibit release of unused minnows back into the water. Unused bait should be
disposed of on land or in a trash can. Also, both states prohibit the transfer of live fish from one
lake to another without appropriate permits. Wisconsin has additional rules relating to the
movement of live fish and the use and possession of live minnows.
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