Lake Erie’s walleye population is strong and getting better, according to biologists.
Lake Erie’s walleyes and yellow perch are going in opposite directions.
That’s not making a lot of difference in the short term. Creel limits for the two species for 2016 are official and familiar.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officials said the limit on Erie walleyes will be six per day, while the limit on perch will be 30 per day. Those are exactly the same as last year.
“This year’s assessment showed that both yellow perch and walleye populations remain at maintenance levels,” said Chuck Murray, the commission’s Lake Erie biologist.
Better fishing may be ahead, though.
That’s especially true for walleyes. Based on a 2016 abundance estimate of 33 million walleye age two or older, the walleye population has increased by about 30 percent from 2015 levels, Murray added.
“A very good walleye hatch in 2015 should provide even better walleye fishing in 2017,” added Murray.
Yellow perch are going the other way, if not too dramatically.
Pennsylvania is allowed a yellow perch catch of 619,968 pounds of fish, according to guidelines set by the Lake Erie Committee, a management body made up of representatives from every state and Canadian province that touches the water. That’s 7 percent less than last year, but still 15 percent above the long-term average.
Commercial fishermen can take up to 100,000 pounds of that. The other half million-plus are reserved for recreational anglers.
It’s unlikely either will get close to that.
Murray said that since 1996, Pennsylvania has put about 150,000 pounds of perch in the boat, with recreational fishermen taking 139,000 pounds and commercial fishermen 11,000.
Lake-wide, the Lake Erie Committee set the total allowable catch of walleyes at 4.937 million pounds and a total allowable catch of perch at 9.208 million pounds.
That’s more walleyes than the year before and fewer perch.
