Smallmouth Bass and Walleye predation on stocked age‐0 Walleye in Lake Oahe, South Dakota

Walleye Sander vitreusare important sport fish that are commonly stocked to supplement populations. Increases in Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieuabundance have prompted concerns regarding potential predation by these and other piscivores on stocked Walleye. Our objectives were to assess the timing and duration of predation on stocked Walleye, the frequency of occurrence and percent composition of Walleye in predator diets, and the percentage of stocked Walleye consumed. We collected Smallmouth Bass, adult Walleye, Largemouth Bass M. nigricans, and Northern Pike Esox luciusdiets in May (prestocking) and June–September (poststocking) 2019 and 2021 from three bays in Lake Oahe, South Dakota. We stocked two bays with Walleye (30–32 mm; 255–1649 Walleye/ha), whereas one bay was unstocked and served as a reference. We estimated Smallmouth Bass population abundance using Schnabel capture–recapture models, and we used bioenergetics to estimate the percentage of stocked age‐0 Walleye consumed. We found age‐0 Walleye in up to 11.4% of Smallmouth Bass diets and 14.6% of adult Walleye diets during the poststocking period. A single Largemouth Bass consumed one Walleye at 3 days poststocking (DPS), whereas we did not identify Walleye in Northern Pike diets. Daily mean percent composition by weight (±95% confidence interval) of age‐0 Walleye in diets peaked at 43.2 ± 35.1% at 3 DPS for Smallmouth Bass and 49.8 ± 97.7% at 14 DPS for adult Walleye. Following the peaks, age‐0 Walleye percent composition by weight rapidly declined and was generally 0% after 25 DPS. Smallmouth Bass abundance was 0.4–5.6 fish/ha, whereas recaptures of other predator species were insufficient for reliable population estimates. We estimated that Smallmouth Bass consumed 29,930 age‐0 Walleye in 2019 and 12,535 age‐0 Walleye in 2021 (up to 14.7 ± 4.7% of stocked fish), potentially representing an important source of stocking mortality. Our research provides insights into the effects of poststocking predation on age‐0 Walleye by Smallmouth Bass and, to a lesser extent, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Managers should consider predation on stocked fingerling Walleye from resident predators and should contemplate alternative stocking locations or timing to reduce potential predation. Impact statementPredation may influence poststocking survival. We found that Smallmouth Bass were the most common predators of stocked age‐0 Walleye, predation generally occurred within 14 days poststocking, and up to 14.7% of stocked fish were consumed. Our results can guide management decisions for improving Walleye stocking success. Predation may influence poststocking survival. We found that Smallmouth Bass were the most common predators of stocked age‐0 Walleye, predation generally occurred within 14 days poststocking, and up to 14.7% of stocked fish were consumed. Our results can guide management decisions for improving Walleye stocking success.