Indiana group stocks walleye for 24 years

By Anastasia Pirrami

The nonprofit group Perch America has been stocking thousands of walleye into Wolf Lake for 24 of the last 25 years, creating a rich fishery for the small community of Hammond, Indiana. Anglers concerned about commercial fisheries over harvesting fish in the southern part of Lake Michigan, including Wolf Lake, formed the group in 1993, said Bruce Caruso, treasurer secretary and self-titled Wolf Lake walleye stocking project manager for Perch America. Caruso joined the non-profit group in 1994. “The first stocking took place in 1998, and I’ve been in charge of it since 1999,” Caruso said. Perch America is a conservation group that works with several government agencies to combat  invasive species, habitat degradation and pollution.