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By Louie Stout
Indiana biologists weren’t overly concerned when they didn’t find many young-of-the-year walleye at Lake of the Woods last fall.
When walleye are stocked (1 to 2 inches) during the spring, fish managers go back to the lake in the fall to assess survival of those young fish.
Lake of the Woods is a 416-acre lake near Bremen, Indiana.
District Fisheries Biologist Courtney Weldon said her crew didn’t find many of the young walleye stocked in the spring, but wasn’t ready to say the stocking was a bust.
“There were some habitat changes – starry stonewart is now in the lake – and we saw a lot of predatory fish in there when we surveyed it last summer,” she said. “Also, we suspect there were a lot of young walleye in a foot of water where we couldn’t get to them with our electro-fishing boat.”
Starry Stonewart is a nasty exotic plant that grows so thick fish can’t hide in it.
On the brighter side, Weldon noted that last summer’s survey produced a lot of adult walleye from 11 to 22.9 inches.
“We hope to do more consistent surveys there, but the fish population overall seems very healthy,” Weldon added.
There also were numerous adult panfish, such as bluegill, redear and pumpkinseed as well as black crappie. Plenty of bass were prominent, too.
“We saw a good abundance of bluegill up to 9½ inches, pumpkinseed over 8 and redear in the 8-inch range,” she said. “We found black crappie up to 12 inches.”
The lake also has a plentiful white bass fishery and there has been an invasion of white perch that look similar to a white bass. While those species typically don’t get above 8 inches, Weldon found several larger ones in the lake.
“It’s a good place to fish for bluegills, redear and sunfish,” she insisted.
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IDNR Report
Indiana Conservation Officer Bryce Klimek, who serves Pulaski County, has been selected as 2024 District 10 Officer of the Year.
Klimek has served as a conservation officer for 22 years. He served in Porter County before transferring to Pulaski County.
In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, Klimek serves as a field training officer, sonar operator, background investigator, and passenger for hire inspector, all for the Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.
District 10 includes LaPorte, Porter, Lake, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski counties.
The district award puts Klimek in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is presented to the top overall conservation officer in the state and is selected from the 10 district winners.
The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.
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IDNR Report
Indiana Conservation Officer Dylan Mast, who serves Noble County, has been selected as the 2024 District 2 Officer of the Year.
Mast has served as a conservation officer for three years.
In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, Mast serves as a field training officer and background investigator for the Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.
District 2 includes Adams, Dekalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley counties.
The district award puts Mast in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is presented to the top overall conservation officer in the state and is selected from the 10 district winners.
The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.
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Renfro Report
For seven decades, the Ford Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show has brought families together, inspiring them to embrace the beauty and adventure of the great outdoors. The 2025 show, held February 14-16 and 19-23 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, is a celebration of this incredible legacy—and it promises to be bigger and better than ever.
In conjunction with that show, visitors can also attend the Deer, Turkey and Waterfowl Show in a nearby building Feb. 21-23. A ticket to one gets you in the other.
With more than 750,000 square feet of the great outdoors brought indoors, this year’s show offers something for everyone.
Boat, Sport and Travel Show
Explore the largest selection of boats and RVs in the Midwest, with more than five and a half acres of boats and four and a half acres of RVs on display. Whether you're planning the trip of a lifetime, comparing models for your next purchase, or simply dreaming of new adventures, the show has everything you need. Expert vendors and manufacturers are on hand to provide insights and help you find the perfect gear for your outdoor lifestyle.
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IDNR Report
Indiana Conservation Officer Jacob Bolt, who serves Kosciusko County, has been selected as the 2024 District 1 Officer of the Year.
Bolt has served as a conservation officer for three years. He served in Starke County before transferring to Kosciusko County, where he has served since 2024.
In addition to his normal duties as a field officer, Bolt serves as scuba diver, unmanned aerial vehicle operator, background investigator, and field training officer for the Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement.
District 1 includes Elkhart, St. Joseph, Marshall, Kosciusko, Fulton, Miami, and Wabash counties.
The district award puts Bolt in the running for the Pitzer Award, which is presented to the top overall conservation officer in the state and is selected from the 10 district winners.
The Pitzer Award is named after Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer, who was fatally shot while investigating illegal hunting activity on Jan. 2, 1961, in Jay County.