Panfish Stocking
At the 2015 annual membership meeting, FOG members authorized a project to stock bluegills into the Gile flowage to help control the population of aquatic invasive species - more specifically the spiny water flea (SWF). With the assistance of Zach Lawson the Iron County Fisheries Biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, this project is moving forward in 2016.
Thanks to generous support of FOG members, local businesses, and the public we are happy to announce that FOG has received over $5,250 in donations (as of December, 2015) for the purchasing young bluegills for stocking into the Gile Flowage. Special thanks to FOG Board members Ken Egveldt, Gary Hopp, Tom Thorp, and Harold Schmude for distributing and collecting the now famous Booty-For-Bluegills blue buckets!
On May 2, 2016 FOG completed the first stocking of 5,000 young Bluegill at the Pence Landing on the west side of the flowage. On May 20, 2027 FOG completed a second stocking of 5,600 young Bluegill at the County "C" Landing on the east side of the flowage. And in May of 2024 FOG will be stocking an additional 5000 young Bluegill in the Gile flowage at a location yet to be determined. After this stocking FOG does not have any additional stockings planned.
We are currently working with the WI DNR in an attempt to locate source of native bluegill from a nearby water body to transfer to the Gile Flowage.
Check back again for more updates on this project.