Investigating young walleye movement and migration patterns in the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario using acoustic telemetry

Abstract

Walleye (Sander vitreus) are a dominant nearshore piscivorous predator in the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario, playing a crucial role in the ecology, culture, and economy of these connected waterbodies. While adult walleye are known for their extensive annual migrations, young walleye are thought to remain resident within the Bay of Quinte, based on traditional assessment techniques such as mark-recapture studies and annual netting programs. Recent advances in fish-tracking technologies have enabled the tagging and monitoring of smaller, younger fish, offering new insights into their behaviour. This study used acoustic telemetry to investigate walleye migration patterns over five years, focusing on early adult life stages (2–7 years). Twenty-nine young sexually mature male walleye from the Napanee and Trent Rivers were acoustically tagged and monitored from 2018 to 2023. Dorsal spines were used to determine the age of each tagged walleye. Young male walleye were observed migrating out of the bay and into the Eastern basin of Lake Ontario as early as three years old, challenging the traditional understanding of their movement patterns. The tagged population of walleye displayed variability in annual movement patterns, consistent with findings from other studies on walleye. Individual young walleye were also found to exhibit very repeatable annual migrations, a trend consistent with older life stages. These findings highlight the complexity of walleye movement and habitat utilization and provide valuable information for fisheries management and conservation.