This year fishing has been very good and it has also produced more than crappies and an occasional bluegill. Crappie fishermen have also been catching a few yellow perch, usually on minnows fished close to the bottom.
While there have always been perch in Grand Lake, the numbers are growing, thanks to some help from the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Perch have been stocked in the lake by the St. Marys Fish Hatchery since 2012.The first three years saw about 100,000 fingerlings stocked per year, but thanks to an unusually large production year, 16.9 million fry and 111,000 fingerlings were stocked this spring. During the past week more than 600,000 additional perch fingerlings were put in the lake.
“When we started stocking in 2012, the hope was to enhance the small perch population that was already there,” said Debbie Walters, fish management supervisor for the Division of Wildlife’s southwest Ohio district. “Several years ago there was great perch fishing, so we thought we could help bring that back.”
I recall joking that the yellow perch fishing was so great there during the 1990s that they should consider stocking Lake Erie with perch from Grand Lake.
From indications this spring, it seems the program is beginning to work out.
There is no question yellow perch can do a lot for a lake in the way of attracting fishermen. Perch are considered the best eating fish by many, so having a strong perch fishery could help the area economy the way saugeye and walleye successes have helped the Indian Lake area and Lake Erie shoreline communities.
The division has tried saugeyes and walleyes in Grand Lake, but with minimal impact. The only good place to catch them has been in the spillway at the west end of the lake. There has also been some ice fishing success for saugeyes along the west shoreline. Neither species is currently stocked at GLSM.
Wetland wildlife workshop: A workshop series is being offered to outdoors enthusiasts and landowners wishing to improve wildlife habitat on their property. A workshop is planned for June 27, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Upper Valley JVS, 8811 Career Drive, Piqua.
Participants will spend the first half of the workshop indoors and the second half at the Willowbrook Environmental Education property wetlands to experience hands-on education in the field with wildlife biologists. Featured speaker will be Jim McCormac from ODNR’s Division of Wildlife.
Cost is $10 per person to include a light breakfast, lunch and a folder of reference materials to take home. All participants must register with the Darke Soil &Water Conservation District at 937-548-1715, ext.3. The registration deadline is June 19.
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