BWCA Stocking in designated trout lakes Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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TuscaroraBorealis
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12/30/2019 07:19PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Looks like they will be cutting back. Link
 
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moustachesteve
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12/31/2019 10:10AM  
Very disappointing but probably rather predictable. Thanks for sharing
 
Savage Voyageur
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12/31/2019 10:48AM  
Sad that they are cutting back on stocking, makes me mad. I think that they should raise the money for a trout stamp and every single dollar raised go back to the trout, not the general fund. If they need more money, charge more money. It’s really not that hard to understand is it? A trout fisherman is not going to stop fishing for trout over a $5.00 increase in stamp money. He’s going to pay the price that the DNR sets.
 
airmorse
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12/31/2019 11:12AM  
Savage Voyageur: "Sad that they are cutting back on stocking, makes me mad. I think that they should raise the money for a trout stamp and every single dollar raised go back to the trout, not the general fund. If they need more money, charge more money. It’s really not that hard to understand is it? A trout fisherman is not going to stop fishing for trout over a $5.00 increase in stamp money. He’s going to pay the price that the DNR sets. "


+1
 
thegildedgopher
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12/31/2019 12:13PM  
What a bummer. Personally I would pay $50 for a trout stamp if it meant that money went back into trout fishing. I think most serious trout anglers would agree -- but perhaps an issue for non-residents vacationing who already pay $44 for a 7-day license.

This paragraph is most upsetting to me: "Another change occurred to stocking remote lakes this year. Those lakes, some of which are within the BWCAW, are stocked from the air. This year, the Minnesota DNR Division of Enforcement stopped using its airplanes to stock fish, switching to more-expensive-to-operate helicopters. Unfortunately, the DNR doesn’t have permission from the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the wilderness area, to use helicopters for fish stocking over the BWCAW. This means no BWCAW stream trout lakes were stocked this year. Persons said it may take a couple of years to get the permission to use helicopters and resume BWCAW stocking."

C'mon DNR. You're cutting stocking because of budget crunch, yet switching to helicopters which are more expensive to operate and not eligible to stock lakes in the BW? Sigh.

Side note: What I wouldn't give to sit on the shore of Gogebic while brook trout fall from the sky!
 
GunflintTrailAngler
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12/31/2019 01:42PM  
While I certainly believe there are a handful of lakes where stocking should be discontinued, it is a bummer to see cutbacks might effect a lake(s) I regularly fish. It was nice to see they’ll potentially be restocking rainbows in pine trestle and esther lakes. Stocking rainbows in mayhew is interesting.
 
Bushpilot
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12/31/2019 06:51PM  
Trout fisherman need to get involved. The dnr held a open house and comment period 2 months ago. It ended December 20th. Also our last dnr commissioner Tom Landwehr was a real piece of work and did a very poor job. This was pretty common knowledge among outdoors people. I hope the new dnr commissioner Sarah Strommen does a better job. I have no first had info on her and have heard nothing bad. What are others thoughts on Sarah Strommen?
 
Basspro69
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01/01/2020 01:20PM  
Savage Voyageur: "Sad that they are cutting back on stocking, makes me mad. I think that they should raise the money for a trout stamp and every single dollar raised go back to the trout, not the general fund. If they need more money, charge more money. It’s really not that hard to understand is it? A trout fisherman is not going to stop fishing for trout over a $5.00 increase in stamp money. He’s going to pay the price that the DNR sets. "
Very much agree I think most trout fisherman would pay extra to support the trout portion of the stocking program !
 
01/02/2020 11:54PM  
Stocking by helicopters in Ontario and other places has shown to have better survival rate than plane stocking. Also maybe bigger trout could be stocked,thus much better survival.

What should be looked at is what lakes will say have had little survival and why? Drop those lakes. Their is a few major trout stockings of like Lake trout with little survival you could save over $100,000 in a decade on some individual lakes. Many areas refuse to drop lakes that should be dropped in their area and not looking at the big picture.

Some lakes within the BWCA are over run with exotics like small mouth bass and thus almost zero survival of trout. Lakes like Rogers was mentioned.

Part of the problem can be pointed at because of diseases the entire brood stock of brook trout and brook trout program has been severely curtailed. They did eliminate all brook trout from DNR hatcheries. At present they have no brood stock(six months ago anyhow) and buy their eggs from a couple states or federal hatchery and than raise them.

A change in strain about 15 years ago of brook trout stocked did excellent in streams but terrible in lakes. That has been discontinued for a couple of reasons like one mentioned above.

Many of the stream trout lakes with warmer summers more predominate now the brook trout can't take the additional warmth in lakes and maybe poor oxygen in deeper waters.
Many lakes on the trout list are just too shallow for long term healthy populations of trout now.

Reevaluate what works and where? Drop lakes where it is a complete waste of stocking and manage where they survive best. Short term at least there would be plenty of money.
Manage where they survive the best. Top DNR biologist for many decades called stocking trout in lakes was a better bang for the buck and recreational return than many other species stocking.


It would help the BWCA trout cause very much to contact DNR Fisheries Managers in Ely,Finland and Grand Marais. Nobody squeaks,well than we probably will lose stocking in some of those BWCA lakes.

Yes Brook Trout is my favorite and yes I caught some monsters in the BWCA.

 
Abbey
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01/03/2020 08:04AM  
Really not happy to see this. Agree with others that the trout stamp price should be increased before just dropping stocking. Even with the previous cutback to stocking every other year, there should have been evaluation of stocking two sizes to get a more consistent population of “year classes”.

I had a first October 2019 brookie trip planned, but it got scuttled due to combination of plan to take a newbie and a wet snowstorm. Now concerned that the BWCA brook trout window could be closing forever.
 
01/03/2020 09:01AM  
Abbey: "Really not happy to see this. Agree with others that the trout stamp price should be increased before just dropping stocking. Even with the previous cutback to stocking every other year, there should have been evaluation of stocking two sizes to get a more consistent population of “year classes”.


I had a first October 2019 brookie trip planned, but it got scuttled due to combination of plan to take a newbie and a wet snowstorm. Now concerned that the BWCA brook trout window could be closing forever. "


Like others its something special
 
moustachesteve
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01/03/2020 12:08PM  
I also agree that an increase in the trout stamp fee would be fine. It doesn't seem to be much of an elastic demand given the specific purpose of those funds. That is assuming the funds go where they're intended or implied to go.
 
01/10/2020 12:12PM  
moustachesteve: "I also agree that an increase in the trout stamp fee would be fine. It doesn't seem to be much of an elastic demand given the specific purpose of those funds. That is assuming the funds go where they're intended or implied to go."


What has also hurt when individuals age 65 and older do not need a trout stamp. That alone would make up the difference and there would be a surplus. At $10 a stamp and the amount of trout anglers over age 65 the money would cover some of the shortfalls. The legislature is always giving perks without making up the difference or effect it will have on the resource.

Would be interesting to see numbers of age 65 and older anglers,especially trout. I know 15% of Minnesota population is age 65 or older.
 
GunflintTrailAngler
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01/10/2020 09:44PM  
Maybe Minnesota could do what Wisconsin does, and require anglers who fish Lake Superior, it’s tributaries (below posted boundaries), and the St. Louis River to have a Great Lakes stamp. North shore anglers represent a small percentage of the total trout fishermen in Minnesota, yet Lake Superior management uses up over half the funds generated from trout stamp sales. Might be a good way to help shift some funds to other areas in need.
 
01/10/2020 10:09PM  
Much of the problem could be handled also by doing away with lakes that will say have ha a decade of failure. Many area managers have not been willing to quit stocking where it doesn't work. Stock where lakes with a proven track record.
 
Abbey
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09/23/2020 10:01PM  
Has anyone heard an update on this? Plenty of excuses in 2020 to not be worried about backcountry trout stocking, but maybe the Forest Service was able to work on the helicopter permit since they weren’t issuing BWCA permits (as if it’s actually the same people). At the very least, there will be a big gap in the year classes. I spot checked the stocking info and didn’t see stocking in 2019 even for odd-year lakes. Maybe a lag in the data, but seems like it should be there by now.
 
09/23/2020 10:17PM  
Abbey: "Has anyone heard an update on this? Plenty of excuses in 2020 to not be worried about backcountry trout stocking, but maybe the Forest Service was able to work on the helicopter permit since they weren’t issuing BWCA permits (as if it’s actually the same people). At the very least, there will be a big gap in the year classes. I spot checked the stocking info and didn’t see stocking in 2019 even for odd-year lakes. Maybe a lag in the data, but seems like it should be there by now. "


Good question, I would contact the Tower Fisheries or the Finland Fisheries office, they would be the ones handling it.

They are raising Brook Trout again in there hatcheries and have stocked brook trout in the Brainerd area-so they should be able to stock the BWCA again unless there is something like Transportation problems?
 
outsidethebox
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09/24/2020 08:00AM  
Interesting: I am 67 and out of state. My brother (58) and I just returned from a 4 overnight BWCA outing-a first time for us...we were being guided. If the trout stamp were designated to the trout I would have gladly contributed. Due to no available base camp sights where we were planning we were pushed to move on and choose between better walleye or better trout opportunities. We (easily) chose trout.

I got home last evening and was planning on sending your DNR a congratulatory note on their program...and this, evidently, needs to happen.
 
outsidethebox
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09/24/2020 08:56AM  
Just had a nice conversation with a manager at Finland. He was very pleased to get a "positive" call in this regard-says often they are negative. Interestingly, he said, there is a meeting today about this very matter-trout stocking.
 
09/24/2020 09:05AM  
outsidethebox: "Just had a nice conversation with a manager at Finland. He was very pleased to get a "positive" call in this regard-says often they are negative. Interestingly, he said, there is a meeting today about this very matter-trout stocking. "


I am sure he will use your comment of why we should continue stocking brook trout.
Also for awhile they switched to a strain called the Minnesota wild strain for lakes. It did terrible statewide and survival rate was almost zero at times. Now they are using a couple of strains rom out east. They talked about switching how they stocked(plane vs helicopter) helicopter fish survive much better and more get into a lake when air dropped. Also size stocked may change?

We have to let Fisheries Manager know how are things going-it helps them a great deal. Communication matters. thanks.
 
09/24/2020 12:04PM  
outsidethebox: "...If the trout stamp were designated to the trout I would have gladly contributed."

Sounds like an awesome time!

Let me preface this question by saying I'm not accusing you of any wrongdoing, I have no reason to believe your not an honest guy...but in reading your post it reads like you did not have a trout stamp? Maybe I'm misinterpreting...

Because technically keeping any trout (including lakers) or simply angling in a designated trout stream or lake (in this case stocked with brookies) requires a stamp. I believe this is true for nonresidents too but perhaps is waved on some shorter temp licenses? Curious and wanting to make sure I understand the rules and that other readers are informed.

It certainly would be a bummer if stocking efforts in the BWCA are not resumed-as mentioned above-perhaps efforts could be focused on fewer, high survival lakes.
 
09/24/2020 03:04PM  
The 24 and 72 nonresident license you do not need a trout stamp. The trout stamp and its use is probably one of the best programs the DNR has at present.
 
09/24/2020 03:13PM  
outsidethebox: "Just had a nice conversation with a manager at Finland. He was very pleased to get a "positive" call in this regard-says often they are negative. Interestingly, he said, there is a meeting today about this very matter-trout stocking. "


They have a good crew there and the manager loves canoeing and the BWCA, he loves talking outdoors. The whole crew does. the assistant will talk your leg off. Great bunch.
 
outsidethebox
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09/24/2020 07:48PM  
Well, I asked at the point of purchase and was told that at 67 years of age I did not need a trout stamp. We live in Kansas and this is the third consecutive year we have been to Minnesota fishing-and we plan to continue to return. Please advise.
 
09/25/2020 12:48AM  
outsidethebox: "Well, I asked at the point of purchase and was told that at 67 years of age I did not need a trout stamp. We live in Kansas and this is the third consecutive year we have been to Minnesota fishing-and we plan to continue to return. Please advise. "

So many rules and exceptions to those rules. Looks like its NOT needed if you're 65 or older. You're not on trial and I have no doubts about your intentions. Sorry for bringing this up.
 
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