Dave Fielder

  Fisheries Research Biologist

  Michigan Department of Natural Resources

  Alpena Fisheries Research Station

  160 E. Fletcher

  Alpena, MI  49707

  (989) 356-3232 x2572

  fielderd@michigan.gov

Research Interests

Current Projects

Publications History

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Research Interests

My research centers on fish communities and fish population dynamics in large lake environments. My work for the DNR focuses on the Laurentian Great Lakes with most of my projects pertaining to the cool water (near shore) communities of Lake Huron, including Saginaw Bay, the St. Marys River, and the Les Cheneaux Islands region.

Current Projects

• Dynamics of the Fish Populations of Saginaw Bay. I am co-PI on this long term study along with Mike Thomas of the Lake St. Clair Station. Gillnetting and bottom trawling are used to annually assess community composition, abundance, age and growth, mortality rates, and other metrics. Special emphasis is on walleye and yellow perch. Information is used to gauge walleye recovery, and to determine presence/absence and effects of exotic species. This study has been in place in various forms since 1971. It is currently funded by Sport Fish Restoration dollars.

• Mortality, Exploitation, and Movement of Walleyes in Saginaw Bay. PI. This study uses monel jaw tags on walleyes, applied annually during the spring spawning run to determine key population metrics necessary for fishery management. The study depends on angler reported tag returns and uses the computer model ESTIMATE to annual generate the resulting values. This project has been in place since about 1982 and is currently funded by Sport Fish Restoration dollars

• Dynamics of the Fish Populations of the Les Cheneaux Islands and St. Marys River. PI. This is really two projects in one where annual (LCI) and periodic (SMR) gillnetting surveys are conducted to determine community composition, abundance, age and growth, mortality rates, and other metrics. The information is used to facilitate fishery management and the emphasis in recent years has been on promoting the recovery of yellow perch in the LCI. The periodic SMR is a multiagency survey coordinated through the St. Marys River Fishery Task Group under the Lake Huron Technical Committee. The LCI survey has taken place annually since 1969 and is one of the longest term studies in the Fisheries Division of the MDNR. The SMR survey series began in 1975. This study is currently funded by Sport Fish Restoration dollars.

• Mortality of Tournament Caught Walleyes and factors affecting their survival. This is a multistate study headquartered out of the University of Minnesota. The objective is to use empirical in-situ and in-vitro data to isolate and determine thresholds of factors affecting the releasability and survival of walleyes caught and then released as part of a tournament fishing venue. There are implications for fishery management and resource sustainability. This project is nearing completion and I serve as the Michigan Liaison to the project. It is funded by the coalition of participating states and FLW Outdoors Inc.

• Lake Herring Culture Pilot Project. I am co-PI along with Matt Hughes of Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery. This study seeks to refine the methods for the collection and fertilization of lake herring (Cisco) eggs and their culture to a small fingerling product with an eye towards using this tool to promote recovery of this species in Lake Huron. This project is nearing completion and if funded through Game & Fish Fund dollars.

Publications History

Reports Authored:

Fielder, D. G. In Press. Dynamics of the Les Cheneaux Islands’ yellow perch population and fishery in the presence of high density Double-crested cormorant abundance. Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Fielder, D. G. 2004. The role of walleye stocking as a recovery tool in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. In Proceedings of the use of Propagated Fishes in Fisheries Management. American Fisheries Society Symposium 44:105-112.

Fielder, D. G. 2004. Collapse of the yellow perch fishery in the Les Cheneaux Islands, Lake Huron, and possible causes. Pages 129-130 In Proceedings of the Percis III; The Third International Percid Fish Symposium, T. P. Barry and J. A. Malison editors. University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. Madison.

Fielder, D. G. 2002. Sources of Walleye Recruitment in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 22:1032-1040.

Fielder, D. G. 2002. Sources of Walleye Recruitment in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, and Recommendations for Further Rehabilitation. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report 2062. Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G. 2002. Methodology for immersion marking walleye fry and fingerlings in oxytetracycline hydrochloride and its detection with fluorescence microscopy. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Technical Report, 2002-1. Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G. 2000. Lake herring spawning grounds of the St. Marys River with some potential implications for early spring navigation. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 20:552-561.

Fielder, D. G. 1998. Lake Herring Spawning Grounds of the St. Marys River with Potential Effects of Early Spring Navigation. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report Number 2049, Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G. 1994. Evaluation of Large Walleye Fingerling Stocking and Lake Walleye Fry Stocking in Lower Lake Oahe. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Completion Report No. 94-17. Pierre.

Fielder, D. G. 1994. An Evaluation of the Suitability of Marking Walleye Fry and Fingerlings with Oxytetracycline. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Completion Report No. 94-15. Pierre.

Fielder, D. G. 1992. Relationship Between Walleye Fingerling Stocking Density and Recruitment in Lower Lake Oahe, South Dakota. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Vol. 12, No. 2:346-352.

Fielder, D. G. 1992. Evaluation of Stocking Walleye Fry and Fingerlings and Factors Affecting Their Success in Lower Lake Oahe, South Dakota. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Vol. 12, No. 2:336-345.

Fielder, D. G. 1992 Lake Oahe Walleye Management Plan. (In) Lake Oahe Fisheries Management Plan, D. G. Unkenholz [Ed]. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Pierre.

Fielder, D. G. 1988. An Examination of the Suitability of Alewife as a Cold Water Forage for Lake Oahe, South Dakota. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. In House Report. Pierre.

Fielder, D. G. 1987. An Assessment of the Introduction of Summer Steelhead into Michigan. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Research Report No. 1948, Lansing.

Reports Co-authored:

Fielder, D. G., A. P. Liskauskas, D. J. A. Gonder, L. C. Mohr, and M. V. Thomas. In Press. Status and trends of walleye in Lake Huron.

Fielder, D. G., J. S. Schaeffer, and M. V. Thomas. 2007. Environmental and ecological conditions surrounding the production of large year classes of walleye (Sander vitreus) in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 33:118-132.

Fielder, D. G., and M. V. Thomas. 2006. Fish Population Dynamics of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron 1998 – 2004. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report. No. 2083. Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G.,  J. P. Baker, L. C. Mohr, A. Liskauskas, and J. R. McClain. 2005. Status of the near-shore fish community. Pages 77-90 in The state of Lake Huron in 1999. Edited by M. P. Ebener. Great Lakes Fishery Commission Special Publication. 05-2, 146p.

Fielder, D. G., and J. P. Baker. 2004. Strategies and options for the recovery of walleye in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Special Report 29. Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G., D. J. Borgeson, A. K. Bowen, S. R. Koproski, S. J. Greenwood, and G. M. Wright. 2004. Populations dynamics of the St. Marys River Fish Community 1975-2002. Great Lakes Fishery Commission, http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lhc/smr2002rpt.pdf . Ann Arbor.

Gebhardt, K., D. Fielder, S. Greenwood, H. Robbins, and T. Sutton [Editors]. 2002. St. Marys River Fisheries Assessment Plan.  Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lhc/smrfinal.pdf . Ann Arbor.

Greenwood S., K. Gebhardt, D. Fielder, H. Robbins, T. Sutton [Editors]. 2002. Towards a Fisheries Assessment Plan –Background Information, Stakeholder and Agency Consultation.  Great Lakes Fishery Commission, http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lhc/stkfinal.pdf . Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G., A. K. Bowen, K. J. Gebhardt, and S. J. Greenwood. 2002. Harvest of fishes in the St. Marys River, May, 1999 through March 2000. Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Miscellaneous publication. http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lhc/HarvestReport.pdf . Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G., J. E. Johnson, J. R. Weber, M. V. Thomas, and R. C. Haas. 2000. Fish population survey of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, 1989-97. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report, 2052. Ann Arbor.

Fielder, D. G. and J. R. Waybrant. 1998. Fish Population Surveys of St. Marys River, 1975-95, and Recommendations for Management. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report Number 2048, Ann Arbor.

Fisher, S. J., and D. G. Fielder. 1998. A standard weight equation to assess the condition of North American lake herring (Coregonus artedi). Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 13:269-277.

Fielder, D. G. and B. A. Johnson. 1994. Walleye Mortality during Live-Release Tournaments on Lake Oahe, South Dakota. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 14:776-780.

Stone, C., D. Fielder, and D. Unkenholz. 1993. Angler Preference and Attitude Survey on Lakes Oahe, Sharpe and Francis Case, South Dakota, 1992. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Completion Report No. 93-15, Pierre.

Jackson, J. J. , D. W. Willis, and D. G. Fielder. 1992. Food Habits of Young-of-the-Year Walleyes in Okobojo Bay of Lake Oahe, South Dakota. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, Vol. 7, No. 3:320-341

Jackson, J. J., D. W. Willis, and D. G. Fielder. 1993. Changes in Walleye Food Habits throughout Lake Oahe, South Dakota, in August 1991. Prairie Naturalist, Vol. 25, No. 4:331-340.

Fielder, D., J. Riis, and C. Stone. 1992. Angler Use and Sport Fishing Harvest Survey on Lake Sharpe, South Dakota, 1990 and 1991. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Annual Report No. 92-11, Pierre.

Fielder, D., J. Riis, and C. Stone. 1992. Angler Use and Sport Fishing Harvest Survey on Lake Oahe, South Dakota, 1990 and 1991. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Annual Report No. 92-10, Pierre.

Fielder et al. 1988 - 1993. Annual Fish Population Surveys on South Dakota Missouri River Reservoirs, 1986-1992. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Annual Report Nos. 88-3 through 93-4, Pierre.

Miscellaneous Articles Authored:

Fielder, D. 2008. Saginaw  Bays Walleye Boom. Walleye In-Sider. In-Fisherman Inc. In press.

Fielder, D., M. Thomas, and J. Baker. 2005. Walleyes booming in Saginaw Bay. Walleye In-Sider. In-Fisherman Inc. July-August-September.

Fielder, D. 2002. St. Marys River Task Group: The St. Marys River and challenges of multijurisdictional fisheries. Fisheries, 27(9):32-34.

Fielder, D. 1997. Saginaw Bay Walleye. Classic Walleye Lake Series. Walleye In-Sider. In-Fisherman Inc. April-May, Vol. 8, No. 2.

Fielder, D. G. 1996. Subunit Awards, An Avenue for Professionalism. Fisheries 21(10): 48.

Fielder, D. 1994. Lake Oahe, Classic Walleye Lake Series. Walleye In-Sider. In-Fisherman Inc. June-July.

Fielder, D. and D. Willis. 1993. What are Lake Oahe Walleyes Eating? South Dakota Conservation Digest. Vol. 60, May/June:8-11.

Fielder, D. 1992. Lake Oahe Walleyes. South Dakota Conservation Digest. Vol. 59(4):2-6.

Fielder, D. 1992. Walleye Length Limit Regulations. South Dakota Conservation Digest. Vol. 59(3):14-17.

Fielder, D. G. 1990. When is a Rainbow Trout a Steelhead? South Dakota Conservation Digest. Vol. 57 (4):8-9.

Fielder, D. G. 1990. Walleye Otoliths. South Dakota Conservation Digest. Vol. 57 (1):8-9.