2023 Walleye Survey of Scooteney Reservoir with Comparison to 2016 Survey

A Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) survey was conducted on Scooteney Reservoir in October of 2023, seven years after the previous survey in 2016. A total of 242 Walleye were caught in 12 nets (20.2  Walleye/net), slightly below the long-term (2002-2016) average of 21.6 Walleye per net. The average  length of Walleye was 15.9 inches (403 mm), which was 1.5 inches (38 mm) longer than the long-term  (2002-2016) average of 14.4 inches. The largest Walleye caught was 31 inches (790 mm). Walleye in  Scooteney exhibited relatively fast growth, with most fish reaching 18 inches by age 2. Female Walleye grew faster than males at all ages. One in six Walleye (17%) were over 22 inches in  2023, while only one in 29 fish (3%) were over 22 inches in 2016. There was also a significant  difference in the age-at-maturity between 2023 and 2016; with age-1 males and age-2 females  maturing earlier. In 2023, 31% of the males were mature at age-1, compared to only 1% of the age-1  females; 81% of the males were mature by age 2, compared to 23% of the age-2 females. All fish were  mature by age 3. The majority (80%) of Walleye were age 3 or younger and maturing earlier, which is  a similar trend to what we are seeing in other Walleye populations in Washington. Scooteney Reservoir appears to have all the attributes of a quality Walleye fishery, with high recruitment of age-1 fish every 3-5 years, resulting in stable abundance and a substantial number  of older Walleye over 22 inches.