Wisconsin waters are fully stocked

The 2024 fish stocking numbers have been released, for inland waterbodies and the Great Lakes. The DNR raises millions of yearling and fingerling fish, to stock into Wisconsin waters every year. Over five million fish were stocked in 2024, which helped fulfill the quotas submitted by county fisheries biologists. Stocking helps boost natural fish populations, where natural reproduction can no longer support the fishery, maintain or restore existing fisheries, and support recreational fishing opportunities. Stocking is also used to evaluate management actions or fish culture techniques. DNR biologists analyze data collected from present and past surveys, to determine which species and quantity should be stocked, along with other factors, such as public input received during the development of species-specific management plans; experimental fisheries management strategies; and specific watershed goals to restore self-sustaining fish populations, maintain existing fisheries or create recreational ones. On inland waters, staff stocked 231,685 brook trout; 288,290 brown trout; 10,945 lake sturgeon; 86,552 lake trout; 59,112 muskellunge; 243,588 rainbow trout; and 1,195,570 walleye. This data does not include the stocking of newly hatched fry, fish stocked by private fish farms, under a stocking permit, fish stocked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or fish stocked by Tribal partners.