Snyders Lake Fall Electrofishing Summary (2009)
For most of the past 30 years, the Rensselaer County Conservation Alliance (RCCA) has raised walleye fry supplied by NYSDEC to pond fingerling size (1.5 to 4 in) for stocking into Snyders Lake. This collaborative program resulted in the development of a popular walleye fishery in this 110 acre warmwater lake. Recently, the requirement that all fish be tested for various diseases before stocking has resulted in the RCCA decision not to raise walleye in their private rearing pond because of the approximately $1,000 testing fee that they would incur. As a result, walleye fry supplied by DEC in the spring of 2009 were stocked directly into Snyders Lake by the RCCA. To determine the success of this fry stocking and to evaluate the adult walleye population, night electrofishing was conducted along the entire lake shoreline in mid October. Twenty-two walleye, ranging in size from 12.5 to 23 inches, were collected in 1.18 hours of electrofishing with all but two fish of legal size (>=15 in). The catch of 18.6 walleye/hour indicates that Snyders Lake supports an abundant walleye population and that the walleye fingerling stocking program by RCCA over the years was very successful. Unfortunately, no young of year (YOY) walleye from this year's fry stocking were collected which suggests that the fry stocking was a failure. This survey effort will be repeated in 2010. If no YOY or age-1 walleye are collected in 2010, direct fry stocking will be terminated and a maintenance walleye fingerling stocking program by DEC will be considered to maintain this fishery starting in 2011. Absence of spawning habitat precludes development of a self-sustaining walleye population. Stocking will be required to maintain this fishery.
