walleye spawn

[Curt In Heuvy]

does anyone know if the walleye have started to spawn in Rossie? I like to view them every spring and bring the kids. if anyone has info it would be a big help.

thanks

Curt

[Phil]

Have not heard but - with the warm weather and rain in the near forecast, I would bet on them starting soon. Maybe early to late next week. If I hear, I will post a message here.

[Phil]

I got a call last night that the Walleye were running at Rossie. Should be good to view in a couple of days.

[Tori]

The DEC has made a video of the Rossie walleye run and posted it on Facebook. About 4 min. long. Very well done.
Tori

[jigginmike]

Here is a link for the video that I received from my uncle -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhiptrJH6LY

They are in the river.

[Fishpro]

Wish to thank you for the great vidio of the Walleye spawn at Rossie. I have watched the spawn a few years ago. Good to see them again. Hope they continue to spawn and increase. Watching them brings back memories when the Walleye were the top fish in Black Lake back in the Fifties and Early Sixtys. Its really a shame to think what the DEC did by introducing Crappie to the lake. They were one of the main reasons that led to the downfall of the population. Good example where man should leave mother nature alone. Again - thanks for your fine film. Catch & Release!

[MrSimon]

You make a good point about the crappie. From what I can tell, anytime you put aggressive shallow water feeding fish in with walleye and pike, the walleye and pike populations decrease and the crappie/smallie population increases.

Those hungry crappie and smallies can wipe out a TON of baby pike and walleye in short order.

It's a balance though .... would you rather have a lake with excellent populations of a few species, or moderate populations of lots of species? Personally, I like that Black Lake has so many different fish. Variety is fun. In one day I've caught walleye, pike, smallmouth, largemouth, channel catfish, bowfin, crappie, and perch. Where else can you do that?

Better C&R laws would go a LONG way though. It boggles my mind that slot limits and lower creel limits haven't been in place years ago.

[Fishpro]

RE: Mr Simon

Your imput concerning a wide variety of fish in the lake is right on the mark. Black Lake, though, had all the various species that you mentioned along with the Walleye. It's only when the DEC incorporated the Crappie into the system did we see the change take hold. The lake then changed to the demise of the Walleye as we saw a mass increase of Crappie and the Bass explosion that soon followed. Now I love Bass fishing but it is just sad that we lost the Walleye . Lets hope that the Walleye make their comeback and maybe things will once again balance out to where it used to be. Catch & Release!

[Phil]

There was a lot more than Crappie that led to the demise of the Walleye. Loss of the two largest spawning habitats are among them. The dam at Pope Mills was opened, letting tons of silt down stream to fill in the rocky spawning beds there. At Rossie, the water way that used to run a mill there was blocked off which led to a huge area that would dry up, stranding just hatched fry there.
Both sites have been reclaimed through efforts of the BL Assn., Black Lake Chamber and BL Fish & Game Club.
Will the population of Walleye ever be what it was in the 50s and 60s? Probably not; but when I can go to the lake and catch a walleye at most anytime I want - it's a huge improvement over what it was in the late 70s; when you could not even find a Walleye running/spawning at Rossie.

[Fishpro]

Re: Phil

Your correct concerning the other main reasons that attributed to the demise of the Walleye. I didn't mention them at the time because I figured too much info would take us away from the main topic of watching them spawn. I agree that the Walleye will never be like it was. Once Mother Nature is tampered with nothing is the same again. You did surprise me when you mentioned that you can catch a Walleye just about any time. I don't know where they go but the last one I caught was about three years ago. My brother and I used to be Walleye fishermen. Now I fish for the sport of catching Bass on the surface. Guess your one good fisherman that knows where and how to catch those Eyes! Catch & Release!!

[Phil]

Re: Phil

Your correct concerning the other main reasons that attributed to the demise of the Walleye. I didn't mention them at the time because I figured too much info would take us away from the main topic of watching them spawn. I agree that the Walleye will never be like it was. Once Mother Nature is tampered with nothing is the same again. You did surprise me when you mentioned that you can catch a Walleye just about any time. I don't know where they go but the last one I caught was about three years ago. My brother and I used to be Walleye fishermen. Now I fish for the sport of catching Bass on the surface. Guess your one good fisherman that knows where and how to catch those Eyes! Catch & Release!!

I'm not a good fisherman - but I do target Walleye on the lake, in the winter and spring/early summer and on the river throughout the summer. I enjoy "chasing" them and seeing them at Rossie (i.e. knowing they are in the lake) does my heart good! I realease at least 95% of what I catch - just cannot turn down a fresh meal of Walleye now and then, or the occasional Northern Pike.
The only thing I seem to know about Walleye in Black Lake is that they seem to be dispersed, i.e. not schooled up like most other areas or fishermen seem to think. They definitely have preferred areas at different times of the year, but I never (or very seldom) catch more than one at any location in any short period of time.

[sasnyder]

My family has caught a few walleye over the past 3 years it seems more each year. My grandson targets them and it has taken a lot of patience it seems the best is early spring or before the water warms to much or starts to churn. Then in the fall. actually I believe most are caught very early morning or after dark night fishing. And like Phil says they have never caught 2 in the same area. We do release all but one because my grandson is the only one that eats them.. He absolutely loves fish.

[MrSimon]

I LOVE that there are Walleye in the lake, but I consider them a bonus fish.

For the most part, there aren't enough to be considered a primary species to target (yet). To catch them consistently, you have to put in a lot of time and effort to study them and hunt them down ... which some guys are great at.

For the rest of us, catching a walleye is just an incidental perk of fishing a great lake (like the one my brother caught posted below).

Lastly, I totally agree that walleye taste great ... but so do bass, crappie, pike, perch, bluegill, and catfish. The State and local community are working really hard to improve the walleye fishing in Black Lake .... so please please please release the ones you catch.

[jigginmike]

Mr Simon,

You are absolutely right when you say they are a bonus fish. My dad and uncles used to fish the lake in the 50's and were always able to get into them. In the 20 plus years that I have been coming to Black Lake on a regular basis, I can count on one hand minus two fingers (maybe three) the number of legal walleye I have caught and eaten. The number I have caught and released because they were to small may be twice what I've kept. They have all been incidental catches while crappie fishing. While trying to targets eyes, the basket has always come up empty. It's amazing to see the walleye run (the numbers that exist) and not be able hook em when trying to do so intentionally during the season. As far as taste, they rank in the top three in my book (walleye, perch and crappie in no particular order). Any fish that comes out of Black Lake tastes better than any other body of water I've fished in New York. Hopefully everyone will do their best in protecting this fishery and keeping it what is for future generations. I also wish everyone would keep the DEC number handy to report violations.

[mojo]

Great stuff on Walleye fishing on Black Lake. Unlike some of you, I have targeted Walleye for the past 15 years because I found they are the most challenging fish to catch on BL. I do keep some for dinner occasionally but most are returned.

Unlike some posts, I have caught numerous Walleye over a 2 hour period once located - primarily trollong. I'm not a very good fisermman either but once you locate them they are easy to catch. And most of my success has been between the hours of 10 a.m. - 1p.m. I've fished all of the classic Walleye holding areas at night with very limited success. Althought there is 1 spot I found that holds Walleye after midnight but that spot will die with me.

Catch and release is a good practice, but let's not forget the balance of the food chain. Too many of 1 species is not good for the overall population. And an occasional disruption of the ecosystem can actually help a species evolve to overcome natural and man-made challenges in the future. So if you do like eating fresh caught fish, mix it up. It will help strengthen and sustain the overall fish population.