PIKE RIVER— The walleyes are running at the Pike River Hatchery, although DNR fisheries staff hadn’t begun stripping eggs as of mid-week. A cool-down early in the week kept the run from reaching its peak, which usually corresponds with water temperatures in the mid-40s.

It’s actually an early start for the hatchery, where operations typically get underway more towards the latter half of the month. But unusually warm weather in late March and early April helped clear ice from the river and allowed fisheries staff to get their walleye traps in the water as of Friday, April 7. Earlier this week, they were beginning to collect incoming walleye. Hatchery Manager Jeff Eibler estimated they had about 1,000 fish currently waiting to “ripen.”

“We’re not taking any eggs yet,” said Eibler. “Possibly by the end of the week.”

Meanwhile, the annual white sucker run is also underway according to Eibler, and that means that the annual sucker sale conducted by the Lake Vermilion Association is also underway. The first suckers went on sale on Monday, and the sales will continue depending on availability. If you want to find out when suckers will be on sale, you can now visit a new website, www.vermilionsucker sale.com, which will post updates as long as suckers are available. Check the website after 4 p.m. each day to find out if suckers will be available the following day and how many pounds will be available.

If you don’t have access to the web, you can contact Tom Forconi at 218-428-7096.