Lake Erie anglers fishing in Pennsylvania waters will be allowed 30 yellow perch and six walleye per day for 2012. On April 20, 2012, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) released its 2012 Lake Erie yellow perch creel limits.

Earlier in 2012, PFBC adopted new regulations establishing adaptive creel limits for walleye and yellow perch based on the annual quotas established by the Lake Erie Committee, which consists of fisheries managers from Pa., Ohio, N.Y., Mich., and Ontario, Canada.

A recent assessment showed that both yellow perch and walleye populations remain stable. Based on this, the creel limits are being held at the 2011 limits.

source:  PFBC

Management of Lake Erie's walleye and yellow perch fisheries has undergone several important changes in recent years. The Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group (LEPMAG) was established by the Lake Erie Committee in 2010.

The group facilitates discussions among state and provincial management agencies on Lake Erie and stakeholders and provides input to the Lake Erie Committee concerning management of the region's walleye and yellow perch stocks.

LEPMAG participants include Lake Erie Committee members, biologists, recreational and commercial fishers, and personnel from the Quantitative Fisheries Center at Michigan State University.

Each year, the Lake Erie Committee recommends a total allowable catch for walleye and yellow perch. Total allowable catch represents the number or weight of fish that can be caught by sport and commercial fishers without putting the stocks and fisheries at risk. The individual agencies implement the recommended total allowable catch.

The Lake Erie Committee comprises fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania. The committee’s work is facilitated by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a Canadian and U.S. agency on the Great Lakes.

For more information, visit the Lake Erie Committee online at www.glfc.org/lec

source: Lake Erie Committee