What About Electrofishing?

Electrofishing is a process of collecting information that is used to analyze the relationship between fish populations of a lake and the relative health of the lake. Electrofishing surveys have been used on lakes and bodies of water as small as private lakes and as large as the Great Lakes and the Mississippi. The data is used to help create a management plan for the body of water.

Electrofishing surveys are done by professional lake management professionals. Samples of fish are taken to determine the abundance of various species, the size, the growth rates and the weight of the fish. Once the facts are in, it is possible for professionals to figure out how to work with the ecosystem to improve it.

One purpose of electrofishing is to find problems before they start. Sometimes an invasive species might be discovered. Invasive species are non-native species that can compete with the resources necessary for the original or traditional fish of an ecosystem. Invasive species need to be removed before they multiply and overrun the lake.

The way electrofishing happens is that fish are stunned and then float on top of the water. They are then netted and taken onboard the fishing boat where they are examined. They are weighed, measured, and various statistics are taken. After the data is taken, then the fish are returned. Through the statistics, the number of fish, the relationships between the fish, and the health of the fish is determined.

After examining the data, a management plan can be then be created with the aid of lake management professionals. They discuss the data with the owner or management of a lake or waterways and consider how to use the data in conjunction with the goals set out for the lake. Properly done, electrofishing is a tool to help manage the health of a lake or waterway.