A Biotelemetry Study of the Movements of the Walleye in Central Hills Reservoir, Tennessee

From July, 1974, through July, 1975 the movements of 29 walleye were monitored in Center Hill Reservoir, Tennessee, using ultrasonic telemetric techniques. Seasonally, monitored walleye were most active during the winter and least active during the summer and activity was not correlated with angler success. Diel activity varied from a nocturnal pattern during the summer, to crepuscular during the fall and winter, and no pattern was evident during the spring. Temperature preference was a range of 12°18° C and the only bathymetric pattern established was that of a preference for the bottom, regardless of depth. However, oxygen was often limiting in the hypolimnetic zone. No patterns were established when the daily rates ofmovement of walleye were correlated with various environmental variables. Monitored walleye preferred to remain more than 30 meters offshore during all seasons of the year. Also preferences for certain type areas of the reservoir and bottoms were evident. Home ranges were established during winter and summer but not at other times of the year and "homing" to these ranges was exhibited as was '"homing" to a previous spawning site.

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