Mauch Chunk Lake
Fish Population
Assessment
November 10, 2022
Trap Net Gear
Targeting Panfishes and Walleye
Page 3
Catch Rate/Relative Abundance
Page 4
Black Crappie
• Commonwealth Inland Waters (pa.gov)
• Season: Open year-round
• Minimum Size: No minimum
• Daily Limit: 50 (combined species)
o Sunfish, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Crappies, Catfish, Rock Bass, Suckers,
White Bass, Bowfin, and other gamefishes not otherwise listed
Page 5
Bluegill
• Commonwealth Inland Waters (pa.gov)
• Season: Open year-round
• Minimum Size: No minimum
• Daily Limit: 50 (combined species)
o Sunfish, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Crappies, Catfish, Rock Bass, Suckers,
White Bass, Bowfin, and other gamefishes not otherwise listed
Page 6
Pumpkinseed
• Commonwealth Inland Waters (pa.gov)
• Season: Open year-round
• Minimum Size: No minimum
• Daily Limit: 50 (combined species)
o Sunfish, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Crappies, Catfish, Rock Bass, Suckers,
White Bass, Bowfin, and other gamefishes not otherwise listed
Page 7
Walleye
• Commonwealth Inland Waters (pa.gov)
• Season: Jan. 1 through Mar. 14 and May
7 through Dec. 31
o Closed 15 Mar. – 6 May
• Minimum Size: 15 inches
• Daily Limit: 6
Total Catch (April)
Walleye
Year Number
1981 41
2004 0
1016 7
2019 3
2022 2
Red lines are minimum trap net catch rate Walleye (Legal-
size: 0.2/h; all sized: 0.25/h ) and minimum size
Page 8
Yellow Perch
• Commonwealth Inland Waters (pa.gov)
• Season: Open year-round
• Minimum Size: No minimum
• Daily Limit: 50 (combined species)
o Sunfish, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Crappies, Catfish, Rock Bass, Suckers,
White Bass, Bowfin, and other gamefishes not otherwise listed
Night-boat Electrofishing
Targeting Black Bass (Largemouth & Smallmouth bass) and Walleye
Page 10
Catch Rate/Relative Abundance
Page 11
Largemouth Bass
Big Bass Regulation
1.2% – 5.1% > 15”
Big Bass Program (pa.gov)
Year Occurrence
2012 1.3%
2016 2.0%
2019 0.9%
2022 0.8%
Page 12
Smallmouth Bass
Big Bass Regulation
0.0% > 15”
Big Bass Program (pa.gov)
Year Occurrence
2012 0.0%
2016 0.0%
2019 0.0%
2022 0.0%
2012: N = 1
Page 13
Walleye
• Commonwealth Inland Waters (pa.gov)
• Season: Jan. 1 through Mar. 14 and May
7 through Dec. 31
o Closed 15 Mar. through 6 May
• Minimum Size: 15 inches
• Daily Limit: 6
Year Occurrence
2012 0.0%
2016 0.0%
2019 0.0%
2022 0.0%
Summer electrofishing benchmark catch rate not
defined in Walleye Plan
Stocking
Page 15
Forage Stocking
• Extensive quality habitat available all life stages
• Unknown angler use and harvest
• Length frequencies not representative of cropping
• Competition for available forage
• Bluegill and Pumpkinseed populations are stable
• Golden Shiner uncommon occurrences in 2022 surveys
• Requested Golden Shiner stockings
• Pending hatchery availability
• 2023 through 2025
• Reevaluate in 2025
Influences too Big Bass Occurrences
Page 16
Walleye Stocking
Year Life stage Total Stocked
1977
Fry
1,300,000
1980
Fingerling
9,900
1982
Fingerling
9,900
1984
Fingerling
9,900
1985
Fingerling
1,650
1986
Fingerling
9,900
1988
Fingerling
5,000
1990
Fingerling
6,600
1991
Fingerling
1,475
1992
Fingerling
6,600
1993
Fingerling
66,000
1993
Fry
660,000
1994
Fingerling
66,000
1994
Fry
660,000
1995
Fingerling
5,000
1996
Fingerling
9,900
1997
Fingerling
9,900
1999
Fingerling
9,900
2000
Fingerling
9,900
2002
Fingerling
13,200
2003
Fingerling
6,600
2004
Fingerling
6,600
2005
Fingerling
6,600
2006
Fingerling
6,600
2007
Fingerling
6,600
2008
Fingerling
6,600
2009
Fingerling
6,600
2010
Fingerling
6,600
2011
Fingerling
6,600
• Walleye (fishandboat.com)
• Discontinued 2012
• Failed to achieve Walleye Plan catch
rate objectives
Page 17
Trout Stocking
SeasonStocking Date Brook Brown RainbowBrood Golden Total
Mauch Chunk Lake
Not a Stocked Trout Water
Mauch Chunk Creek
P Tuesday, March 29, 2022 420 0 280 40 0 700
I Monday, April 11, 2022 0 150 150 10 0 300
I Friday, May 6, 2022 0 150 150 0 0 300
PFBC Trout Stocking (pa.gov)
Questions