TITLE:
Post-Survival and Growth in Belvidere Dam, South Dakota, USA, of Juvenile Walleye Reared in a Recirculating Aquaculture System
AUTHORS:
Andrew S. Marchant, Bill H. Miller, Gene Galinat, Cody Treft, Jill M. Voorhees, Michael E. Barnes
KEYWORDS:
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, RAS, Walleye, Sander Vitreus, Post-Stocking Survival, Intensively-Reared
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.17 No.8,
August
18,
2026
ABSTRACT: Walleye (Sander vitreus) recreational fisheries are frequently maintained by stocking hatchery-reared fish. Producing juvenile walleye in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is becoming more common, but information on the post-stocking performance of RAS-reared walleye remains limited. This study evaluated the survival and growth of RAS-reared juvenile walleye stocked into Belvidere Dam, South Dakota. Approximately 14,000 juvenile walleye were cultured in a RAS to an individual mean weight of 0.156 g and stocked into Belvidere Dam on 15 June 2023. Trap netting occurred approximately one month later. Both trap nets and boat electrofishing were conducted in 2024. No walleye were captured in the trap nets in 2023. However, in 2024, 72 walleye were caught in trap nets and 37 were captured by electrofishing. Catch per unit effort was 14.4 fish/net-night in June 2024 and 55.5 fish/h in October 2024. Median individual total length increased from 251 mm in June 2024 to 344 mm in October 2024, representing a median growth of 94 mm over approximately four months. Stock-length and quality-length walleye were present within 16 months post-stocking, and relative weights indicated excellent body condition. These results demonstrate that RAS-reared walleye can survive and exhibit rapid growth following stocking in a small reservoir system, supporting the use of RAS as an effective tool stocking for the management of recreational walleye fisheries.