Oneida Lake walleye egg collection set to begin

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 03/29/2017 03:56 PM EDT
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Oneida Lake Walleye Egg Collection
Taking eggs from a walleye
Collecting eggs from a walleye

What are we doing?

Every spring, staff at the Oneida Hatchery in Constantia collect eggs from spawning walleye for NYSDEC’s walleye stocking program. This year staff anticipate setting nets in Oneida Lake the first week of April to collect approximately 20,000 adult walleyes. Nets are tended each morning and captured walleye are then held in tanks inside the hatchery until staff collect eggs and milt. Over 300 million eggs will be collected for the program!

Why do we do it?

The eggs we collect are fertilized and held until they hatch several weeks later. Newly hatched fish (i.e., fry) are either stocked or kept at Oneida or another state hatchery where they are raised until they are about 2 inches long before being stocked. NYSDEC annually stocks 40 – 50 waters throughout the state to establish, maintain, or restore walleye fisheries.

Visit us

The hatchery is open to the public 8-3:30 pm 7 days a week once the egg take begins. Fish from Oneida Lake are on display as well as a "petting tub" for kids with mud puppies and small burbot.