Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Institute for Fisheries Research Report No. 1789, 1972
Contribution of Northern Pike Fingerlings Raised in a Managed Marsh to the Pike Population of an Adjacent Lake
George B. Beyerle and John E. Williams
Abstract.-A yearly average of 4,827 marked fingerling northern pike were stocked from a managed marsh into a 289-acre adjacent lake for 3 consecutive years. Estimated mean yearly survival of these pike through fall of the first year was 1,339 (28%). Estimated mean yearly survival of naturally produced pike was 821, making a total of 2,160 young-of-the-year pike surviving to fall of each year. Growth of both stocked and naturally raised pike was well above Michigan state average-after 3 years of growth, stocked pike averaged 3.5 inches longer than state average, and naturally raised pike averaged 2.1 inches longer, This rapid growth would indicate that the stocking rate of pike could be increased substantially with significant benefit to the fishery. We were unsuccessful in using Bergman-Jefferts magnetic tags to mark fingerling pike for long-term experiments. Although the tagging operation caused no obvious mortality, the inconsistency of response of supposedly tagged pike, when checked on the tag detector, was unexplained.