Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthy Lakes Fish Study topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County reports shoreline projects on Big Bass Lake and early results from walleye movement study at Big Eau Pleine
Summary
Staff installed eight Healthy Lakes & Rivers shoreline projects on Big Bass Lake and reported initial acoustic tagging results from a walleye study at Big Eau Pleine; 30 fish were tagged and early recoveries surprised staff with substantial movement.
Marathon County conservation staff told the Environmental Resources Committee on Oct. 14 that they completed eight Healthy Lakes & Rivers projects on Big Bass Lake in 2025 and that an acoustic walleye movement study at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir has returned early detection data.
Shoreline projects: staff said the DNR Healthy Lakes & Rivers grant provides up to $1,000 per riparian project and that in 2025 the county completed two rain gardens and six native-plant shoreline restorations on Big Bass Lake. Staff said each plant installation involved roughly 150 native plants, work was low‑impact for landowners and most installations were completed in a day. Projects included fish‑habitat “fish sticks,” rock infiltration, rain gardens and native buffers intended to reduce shoreline erosion and runoff.
Fish movement study: staff reported that in spring 2025 they acoustically tagged 30 walleyes across three reservoir zones and installed 14 acoustic receivers. By September they had received detections indicating that seven tagged fish had been harvested (five with tags returned) and that several tagged fish showed longer‑than‑expected movements within the reservoir and up the river system. One tagged fish originally released near Georgia’s Landing (close to the aerator) showed detection records as far upstream past Highway 97. Staff said they plan to add 12–18 more tags in spring 2026, will retrieve receiver data this winter and are working with UW‑Stevens Point students and Wisconsin DNR fisheries staff on data analysis.
Staff said signs and tag loops are placed on fish used in the study to encourage anglers to report tagged fish and that the DNR partnership provided field expertise. No policy action was requested at the Oct. 14 meeting; staff said they will report study findings and expanded tagging plans next spring.
