Biologists At MDWFP Collecting Brood Fish To Help Reestablish Populations

The Walleye program at the Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery (BTFH) involves biologists collecting, spawning, rearing, and stocking gulf coast strain (GCS) walleye to reestablish populations in their historical home range of creeks throughout Mississippi and neighboring states.⁠

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Brood fish are collected in March when water temperatures reach 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Staff manually spawn the fish and then the fertilized eggs (that are smaller than the size of a dime) are transferred to hatching jars.

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The eggs hatch in 10-15 days, and the newly hatched fish (called fry) are placed into hatchery ponds to continue growing.

After about a month, they have reached approximately 1-2 inches in length. These fingerlings are then stocked into the Tenn-Tom Waterway and its tributaries. ⁠