Page 23 - Discover Summer 2022
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thanks to the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric a guest speaker at one of the SMSC
and Navigation Project. During an 8 monthly meetings, Assistant Manager
week period when the lakes (Lake Marion Gordon Judd, and their staff work tirelessly
and Lake Moultrie) were impounded, to ensure that SML and other reservoirs
some Striped Bass were trapped behind receive fish each year.
the dams as they made their springtime SML receives approximately 350,000
spawning run. Biologists were shocked to Striped Bass fingerlings each year from
learn that the Striped Bass could survive, the Vic Thomas Fish Hatchery. The
and upon further research they also found fingerlings are loaded onto a well-
that the fish were successfully reproducing. oxygenated stocking truck and transported
When Smith Mountain Lake was formed to the lake. Stocking is accomplished
and biologists realized that there would be at various boat ramps around the lake.
deep, cool water, it was a perfect match for Recently, VA DWR has begun to practice
the Stripers. Striped Bass were introduced pelagic (open water) stocking. When
into SML after the lake was impounded in fingerlings are released near the shoreline,
1963. The Virginia Department of Game they encounter many predators such as
and Inland Fisheries (now Virginia DWR) bluegill, crappie, bass and white perch.
started stocking the lake with fingerling Out in the open water, they have a better
size fish (approximately 1.5 inches long) as chance at survival, since they are away
the lake continued toward full pond. from the shoreline predators. Striped
Due to the need to maintain the striped Bass grow very quickly in their first year,
bass population, the lake must be regularly reaching an average of 12 inches long.
restocked. For the Striped Bass spawn to Their growth slows after year one, and then
be successful, their fertilized eggs must they become subjects of interest to VA
float in the river current for 48-72 hours. DWR Biologist Dan Wilson.
Smith Mountain Lake does not offer this Dan Wilson and his staff are the key
type of habitat, so the Striped Bass spawn figures who determine the actual yearly
is not successful enough here to maintain stocking rate. He compiles data from gill
the population. netting surveys, angler journals, and the
SML receives fingerlings from the Vic collection of fish heads. The gill netting
Thomas Fish Hatchery in Brookneal. surveys show how well the stocking
The hatchery sits on 55 acres along the (recruitment) is progressing, as well as how
banks of the Staunton (Roanoke) River well the fish are growing in their first three
in southeastern Campbell County. It years in the lake. This data gives DWR
maintains almost 20 acres of earthen an idea of what fish will be entering the
ponds, a state-of-the-art hatchery building, system as “catchable” fish.
and supporting raceways. Hatchery The angler journals give a complete picture
Manager Mike Gafford, who has been of the entire population of Striped Bass in
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