Commercial fishing nets were in the water of Fawcett Lake, north of Smith, for one day last week. It was the first whitefish fishery on the lake in five years. They went in on Wednesday and came out Thursday.
“The last fishery was in 2000,” says Fisheries Biologist David DeRosa. “We finally closed it due to low whitefish densities.”
The populations have rebounded since, DeRosa says, but there are those who would prefer the lake to stay closed to commercial nets altogether.
“I think they should leave it alone,” says Anchor Inn Resort owner Jean Ahlstrom.
Ahlstrom has been heartened in recent years by an improving sport fishery. Good angling means good business for the resort, and she says the walleye have been getting more plentiful and bigger in recent years. She’d hate to see anything jeopardize the trend, and she says most anglers agree.
“I’ve spoken to 500-600 sport fishermen over the past few years – maybe one of them thinks there should be net fishing in smaller lakes.”
If they could trap the fish alive, Ahlstrom says, she would have no problem with it. That way, they could keep the whitefish and release the walleye, pike and perch.
The commercial fishermen have a different view of the matter. Murray DeAlexandra – one of the approximately seven fishermen who set nets on the lake – says Fawcett is healthy and a whitefish pull isn’t going to change that. Just the opposite, in fact.
“The lakes we fish are healthy,” he says. (They have) the best angling in the country. Why? Because we take the whitefish out.”
DeAlexandra says that test fishing in Fawcett showed it to be in the best shape he’s ever seen it. Asked about opposition to commercial fishing, he says, “We should look at the science, not what people think.”
The whitefish quota for this fishery was 8,000 kilograms, with 900 kg. allowed for incidental pike and walleye, each. Since it’s only one pull of the nets, the Fish & Wildlife can’t close it early if the incidental catch is too high. What they catch is what they catch.
DeRosa says if something drastic happens – double the walleye quota for example – we’d have to look at closing the fishing for a year.”

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