The annual rite of spring is underway on the Iowa Great Lakes, as fisheries crews begin their yearly gillnetting operations.
Mike Hawkins, a Regional Fisheries Management Supervisor with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says crews have already started targeting northern pike on Big Spirit Lake.
Hawkins says northern pike are typically the first species handled each spring, as they move into shallow waters earlier than other fish to begin spawning.
Attention will soon shift to walleye, with Hawkins saying the main gillnetting operations for that species are expected to begin around April 8th or 10th, depending on weather and water conditions.
Once walleye operations begin, the Iowa DNR will again expand public viewing opportunities at the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery in Orleans, where visitors can watch the spawning and egg collection process firsthand.
Gillnetting and spawning operations are a key part of the DNR’s fisheries management efforts, helping stock lakes across Iowa and support long-term fish populations.
This story is courtesy of fellow Community First Broadcasting station KUOO
