NLA supports conservation projects to protect and enhance Lake Nebagamon’s fishery. Through volunteer efforts, member dues, and private donations, the association has developed long standing partnerships with the Wisconsin DNR, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and local property owners to preserve the lake’s natural balance. The committee continues to work with WI DNR Fisheries on regulations to better protect our resource.

The Walleye Enhancement Initiative

To address concerns about natural reproduction and the historic survival of fry and small fingerlings, NLA launched a targeted Walleye Enhancement Initiative.

• Targeted Stocking: Starting in 2011, NLA worked with the Brule DNR Fisheries Biologist and the Red Cliff Band to stock extended-growth large fingerlings (6 to 9 inches). These larger fish demonstrate exponentially higher survival rates against natural predators.
• Community Supported Stocking: The initiative introduced thousands of large fingerlings over the years, funded through community donations and organizational partnerships.  
• Ongoing Management: Walleye stocking at Lake Nebagamon has been temporarily suspended. 2029 is the earliest possible year for stocking to resume. 

Fish Habitat Resoration (Fish Sticks)

NLA paired its stocking efforts with habitat improvement work to provide young fish with placed to find food and shelter

• Natural Shoreline Cover: Through the Healthy Lakes & Rivers program, NLA helps fund and coordinates "Fish Sticks" projects. Whole trees are cut, anchored along the shoreline, typically during winter ice conditions.
• Habitat Benefits: These woody structures provide cover and feeding areas for juvenile walleye, bass, and panfish. The structures also provide habitat for shore birds and other aquatic creatures. Early phases of the program generated commitments from lakeshore property owners to establish woody habitat at locations around the lake.

Watershed Protection & Stream Quality

A healthy fishery also depends on protecting the broader watershed. NLA's fisheries efforts directly intertwine with several core water-quality initiatives:

• Stream & Creek Preservation: NLA actively conducts habitat restoration work beyond the main lake basin, including dedicated fish habitat improvement projects along Minnesuing Creek.
• Runoff & Nutrient Mitigation: Through multiple DNR grant cycles, the NLA’s Healthy Lakes Initiative has completed runoff-reduction projects on shoreline properties. Mitigating phosphorus runoff limits dangerous algae blooms, preserving the clear, balanced water transparency required for successful fish spawning.