ANALYSIS OF CAGED BLUEGILL SPAWNING AND FINGERLING PRODUCTION AT FAIRPORT 
HATCHERY, IA.

Aleshia Kenney1,2, Ken Snyder2 and Richard V. Anderson1.  
1Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL  
61455  2Fairport Hatchery, Iowa DNR, Fairport, IA

Seventy pairs of bluegill were stocked into each of four ponds in an effort to 
evaluate bluegill spawning at Fairport Fish Hatcher, Muscatine, IA.  Bluegill in 
2 ponds were placed into 10’L x 4’W x 2’H cages and were removed after one 
spawning cycle.  Bluegill in the other 2 ponds were not caged and were allowed 
to inhabit the entire pond throughout the production season.  Significant 
differences were found in length, number of fish per pound, and number of fish 
harvested per pond when the two spawning techniques were compared.  Significant 
differences were also recorded in plankton densities between the two spawning 
techniques. 

Keywords:  bluegill, hatchery production, spawning, plankton densities