This fall the Cornell Biological Field Station in partnership with DEC will be initiating a 3-year telemetry study of adult walleyes in Oneida Lake to:
- identify spawning sites
- describe seasonal movement patterns
- describe habitat use throughout the year
- determine where post-spawn walleye go after they have been processed at the Oneida Fish Hatchery
Sixty-four acoustic receivers will be spaced throughout the lake and select tributaries to track the movement of 200 adult walleyes surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters (pictured at bottom right). Transmitters will send out a unique signal every 4 minutes and receivers in the vicinity will record the occurrence. Unless they leave the system, die naturally, or are harvested, walleyes will be tracked year-round during the study.
If you harvest a walleye that has a transmitter, please use the contact information printed on the transmitter to facilitate its return.
Data from receivers will be downloaded annually beginning in the summer of 2024. This study is part of the GLATOS (Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System) network which gives us access to state-of-the-art analysis tools and expertise as well as inform us on fish tagged in Oneida Lake that may leave the system and enter the Great Lakes. This new information on movements and habitat use of the Oneida Lake walleye population will help DEC better manage this important and valuable resource. This is a Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration project supported by your purchase of fishing licenses, fishing equipment, and motorboat fuels.
