WALLEYE FRY
RELEASED - 2025
4.8M
EGGS COLLECTED
SPRING - 2025
6M
YEARLY WALLEYE SAMPLING
FROM WFT STOCKING*
60%
CHAPTER FOUNDED
2012
OUR MISSION
PROTECTING WALWORTH COUNTY'S WALLEYE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The Walworth County Chapter of Walleyes for Tomorrow is a volunteer conservation nonprofit committed to the restoration and long-term health of walleye populations across Walworth County's lakes and waterways.
Reestablished in 2024 after a period of inactivity, our chapter currently operates a portable hatchery at Abbey Harbor on Geneva Lake — collecting wild-spawned eggs each spring, raising fry, and releasing them back into the water. Wisconsin DNR sampling has confirmed our work: approximately 60% of yearling walleye in Geneva Lake originated from WFT stocking efforts. As the chapter grows, our conservation work will expand to additional Walworth County waters.
We also partner with the Geneva Lake Environmental Agency (GLEA) to install fish habitat structures — submerged Christmas tree brush piles that serve as aquatic food plots and nursery habitat for juvenile fish.
EGG COLLECTION & FRY STOCKING
Each April, volunteers set fyke nets to capture spawning walleye on Geneva Lake. Eggs are stripped from the females and fertilized with milt from the males, then reared in our portable hatchery until hatching. Fry are released back into the lake, with plans to expand stocking efforts to additional Walworth County waters as the chapter grows.
In partnership with GLEA, we install submerged brush pile structures in the lake's riparian zones — creating essential nursery habitat for juvenile walleye.
HABITAT ENHANCEMENT
COMMUNITY & EDUCATION
Monthly "Walleye Wednesday" meetings in Lake Geneva bring anglers, conservationists, and community members together to support our shared mission.
CONSERVATION OPERATIONS
HOW OUR PORTABLE
HATCHERY WORKS
Every spring, our volunteer team mobilizes a portable hatchery operation at Abbey Harbor on Geneva Lake — our current primary project water. The process runs from late March through May, timed precisely to the walleye spawn.
Our hatchery uses remote monitoring technology to track water temperature and flow rate around the clock, ensuring optimal conditions for egg development. This proven model is designed to scale to additional Walworth County lakes as our chapter expands.
01
HATCHERY BUILD
Volunteers assemble the portable hatchery system at Abbey Harbor in April, installing tanks, aeration, and remote monitoring equipment.
02
EGG COLLECTION
Ripe female walleye are netted from Geneva Lake spawning areas. Eggs are stripped, fertilized with milt from males, and transferred to the hatchery.
03
INCUBATION & MONITORING
Eggs incubate in temperature-controlled flow-through water. Remote sensors alert volunteers to any changes in water quality or flow.
04
FRY RELEASE
Newly hatched walleye fry — typically 4–6 million per season — are released directly into Geneva Lake at optimal locations for survival.
05
DNR VALIDATION
Wisconsin DNR surveys track yearling survival, providing scientific validation of stocking effectiveness.
GET INVOLVED
UPCOMING EVENTS
10
APR
SET FYKE NETS
Geneva Lake
Join volunteers at Abbey Harbor to set fyke nets ahead of the walleye spawn. Nets are positioned at key spawning areas to capture ripe fish for egg collection.
APR
EGG COLLECTION DAY
11
Abbey Harbor - Geneva
Lake
Volunteers assist with transporting spawning walleye captured in the fyke nets back to the hatchery at Abbey Harbor, where eggs and milt are stripped and fertilized to begin incubation.
MAY
06
WALLEYE WEDNESDAY
House of Music - Lake
Geneva, WI
Monthly chapter meeting — open to all members and guests. Join us as we recap the 2026 hatchery season, celebrate our volunteers, and begin planning for next year's egg collection and fry stocking operations.
THANK YOU
OUR SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
The generosity of our sponsors makes walleye conservation possible. Their support directly funds hatchery operations, habitat projects, and the future of fishing in Walworth County.
GOLD SPONSORS - $500
SILVER SPONSORS - $250
BRONZE SPONSORS - $100
Interested in sponsoring Walleyes for Tomorrow - Walworth County Chapter? We'd love to talk.