Although Norris Reservoir has been stocked with 3.7 million walleye since 1999 and TWRA’s netting data shows no recent declines in the walleye population, many anglers are having a difficult time landing the species.
While it remains uncertain, it is believed that Norris walleye have changed their behavior after the illicit introduction of alewife into the reservoir. Alewife prefer different habitats and exhibit different behavior than do native shad species and have become a favored prey of walleye in the reservoir. Walleye tend to follow schools of alewife and have strayed from their traditional habitat and behaviors making them more difficult to catch using traditional methods. Alewife have also adversely impacted the natural reproductive ability of walleye in most systems in which they have been introduced. The historically popular early spring natural spawning runs to the headwaters of the Powell and Clinch Arms of the reservoir have suffered as a result.
In an effort to increase angling success and improve the spawning runs, TWRA is using brood stock from alternate sources. Roughly one-half of the 210,000 walleye stocked into the reservoir in 2014 originated from Douglas Reservoir brood stock. These fish have the tendency to migrate into the headwaters of Douglas and are very susceptible to angling making TWRA hopeful that they will exhibit the same behavior in Norris Reservoir.
Last year, TWRA also stocked the Clinch and Powell Rivers with 27,500 walleye fingerlings that originated from a strain of walleye found in the Rock Castle River in Kentucky. This strain is believed to be genetically similar to walleye native to the Clinch and Powell Rivers, which also have a strong instinct for making spring migration runs. Rock Castle walleye are not as readily available as other broodfish collected from Tennessee’s reservoirs, but will be stocked into the Powell and Clinch Rivers when available.