Validation of otolith ages for walleye (Sander vitreus) in the Winnebago System

• Compared dorsal spine and otolith derived age estimates from 299 known age walleye (ages 0–10, 16, 18) and more than 2000 additional walleye.
• Correlated catch curve residuals from structure and sex-specific catch curves to standard walleye recruitment indices.
• Otoliths yielded accurate age estimates for known age walleye, while dorsal spines underestimated the age of walleye age-6 and older.
• Otoliths yielded older age estimates than dorsal spines for both male and female walleye.
• Catch curve residuals derived from otolith age estimates correlated well with recruitment indices while residuals derived from dorsal spine age estimates did not.

Although accurate age data are essential when estimating somatic growth and mortality rates required to effectively manage exploited walleye (Sander vitreus) populations, aging structures have not been validated for age ranges present in most walleye populations. Otoliths and dorsal spines were collected from 302 walleye considered known age in the Winnebago System, Wisconsin, USA: 142 that were assigned ages via progression of discrete length modes following an individual strong year class (ages 0–3), and 160 (ages 4–10, 12–13, 16, 18) that were initially tagged at lengths small enough to accurately assign age ±1 year (<380 mm) and later recaptured and assigned an age (assigned age at tagging plus number of years at liberty). Paired aging structures were also collected from over 2000 additional walleye sampled during spawning assessments, tournament monitoring, and other surveys to better understand the relationship between spine and otolith age estimates and to compare catch curve residuals from structure and sex-specific catch curves to standard walleye recruitment indices. We found otoliths were accurate for walleye ages 0–10, while dorsal spines yielded relatively accurate age estimates for walleye ages 1–5, but underestimated age of walleye age-6 and older. Age distributions within catch curves constructed from otolith age estimates correlated well with measured year class strength, while age distributions from dorsal spine age estimates correlated poorly. Our results from fish considered known age validate the accuracy of otolith age estimates for walleye up to age-10, with corroborating evidence from catch curves and accurate recruitment indices strongly suggesting that otoliths are valid for all ages of Winnebago System walleye. We recommend the use of otoliths to accurately estimate walleye age, growth, and mortality, and to provide accurate age data for other population analyses.