Hopefully we get a DEP reply on this,I am also very interested to hear how this program is going.I picked up a few smaller(15-20") pike thru the ice last winter,and one much larger one last october on a spinnerbait.I did not get a measurement but I would estimate it at around 28-30" and very fat.Also caught a couple smaller ones earlier in the fall.Winchester is one of my favorite lakes,now if I could just figure out how to fish it I would be fine.Very tough lake sometimes!
Mike G., Sorry this reply took so long. Yes, we are still stocking northern pike fingerlings in Winchester. Actually, we just stocked the last fingerlings for this year a couple of weeks ago. We have stocked there since '01. That year we put ~1,000 fingerlings in. We have stocked ~2,000 fish each year since then. If the pike growth in Winchester is similar to Bantam or Mansfield Hollow those fish from '01 should be at least 30" or better this year. We have conducted night electrofishing before and after we began stocking pike to assess any potential changes to the existing fisheries. We have not seen any significant changes yet. In Mansfield Hollow the data shows pretty good evidence that the bass population actually improved after pike were stocked and became established, and this has been the findings in other locations as well. We plan to do our spring trapnetting in Winchester next year for the first time and hope to see a healthy pike population with several different year classes. The fish stocked in '01 and '02 should be sexually mature and capabale of spawning. We were getting some reports of pike being caught during the winter icefishery and I have seen a few posts and gotten calls of a few others since the spring, but it has actually been less than I would have anticipated. Hopefully, pike fishing will pick-up through this fall and into next year (and beyond!).
Registered: 02/14/03
Posts: 2563
Loc: Port Huron Michigan
Tim this is second hand information but I have heard that this summer was slow for the pike but i know several locals caught some last fall in late sept thru oct on very large golden shiners and are looking forward to this fall.
St. Clair River. Port Huron, MI. #1 Prolific Fishery in North America Bar None!
any updates on the pike program in Winchester Lake ?
It has been 7 years now since the initial stocking.Is it still being stocked annually with 2000 fingerling pike ? Has it been electro shocked in the last year or so ? Can you share an info with us on how the program is doing good or bad ?
According to the DEP website. In the Fisheries segment of the DEP website in General Fishing Information page, listed in the Fish Distribution Report : In 2008 Bantam 494, CtRiver 1188, Pachaug 6836, Quaddick 3900, and Winchester 661 fingerling Pike were released. There is some other info on the Fisheries site as well.