Variation of Adult Walleye Abundance in Relation to Recruitment and Limnological Variables in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Abstract

We quantified the relationship between the abundance of adult walleyes Stizostedion vitreum and limnological descriptors of 166 lakes in northern Wisconsin to better predict population size than was possible with lake surface area alone. Four models described adult walleye abundance from lake surface area for drainage and landlocked lakes with self-sustaining and stocked populations. For self-sustaining walleye populations, lake surface area and watershed area explained 61% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in drainage lakes, whereas lake surface area and the percentage of sand bottom explained 71% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in landlocked lakes. For stocked walleye populations, lake surface area, conductivity, and the percentage of muck bottom explained 98% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in landlocked lakes, whereas lake surface area and maximum depth explained 64% of the variation in the number of adult walleyes in drainage lakes. We conclude that models for estimating adult walleye abundance based on recruitment source may be improved by incorporating limnological variables and partitioning models by water source.