ST. MARYS, Ohio (WLIO) - Fishing fans around Grant Lake St. Marys gathering on Wednesday for a new fish species being stocked into the lake.
Saugeye are a hybrid fish between a female walleye and a male sauger fish and are suited for the warm water here in our reservoirs in our area.
Over 217 thousand saugeye fingerlings were released into Grand Lake St. Marys. The Ohio Division of Wildlife unloaded the fish from the St. Marys hatchery truck with locals also getting the chance to release a small bucket full of fish. Saugeye are a hybrid fish between a female walleye and a male sauger fish and are suited for the warm water here in our reservoirs in our area. The saugeye stocking on Wednesday was much anticipated by locals after popular demand for almost a decade.
"People here in the Grand Lake area have been asking for saugeye for years and years; I've been with the division for about 21 years now, and they've been asking that the whole time, so it's great to see this finally come together," said Rich Zweifel, inland fishery program admin for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. "The work that we put in and the hatchery end of things, to be able to consistently produce enough fish where we can stock this lake, year after year, it's going to provide a heck of a fishery for the people here in the area."
While the saugeye are a popular sport fish in the summer growing up to 14 inches as adults, it's not just their size that makes them sought after.
"They're sought after because they're delicious, they're really good to eat," said Zweifel. "Next to perch, which are my favorite, saugeye are a close second. They are delicious, they make a great sandwich. If you want to have a fish fry, fish in the Ohio reservoir, saugeye are the way to go."
Wildlife officials say the saugeye will help take advantage of the excess of prey-fish in Grand Lake and they will mature to full size by the end of next summer.
