Jake Peterson and his nephews release walleye into Briggs Woods Lake.

Fish don’t just happen. Sometimes, they need a little help from their friends, and walleye, perhaps the quintessential midwestern sport fish, have lots of friends at Briggs Woods.

An informal committee of Larry Haren, Brian Holt and Ryan Rupiper, all of Webster City, were on hand at the local lake Friday to oversee the release of 600 walleye.

Their efforts are backed by cash donations from the Gerald and Joel Peterson families, the Dean Bowden family, and Pat Thompson, of Ames, whose late husband, Denny Thompson, counted Briggs Woods Lake among his favorite places for fishing and canoeing.

According to the latest Iowa Department of Natural Resources survey of Briggs Woods Lake, completed in May 2024, people fishing there can expect to reel in bluegill, large-mouth bass, perch, sunfish, crappie, channel catfish or walleye.

When most people fish in lakes in the Upper Midwest and Canada, it’s walleye they’re hoping to catch, maybe because they put up less fight than other fish once on the line, or because they make a great-tasting shoreside lunch or dinner.

Retired Hamilton County Conservation Executive Director Brian Holt provided some interesting historical context for stocking Briggs Woods Lake.

“The lake at Briggs Woods was built in 1968 from a former farm pasture,” he said. “Once filled with water, the state began stocking it with bass, bluegill and catfish. They also brought in 50,000 walleye ‘sackfry,’ just-hatched fish about a half inch long for a number of years. A 3% survival rate of such young fish was considered very successful, but many years, it was less than that.”

He continued, “At some point, about 15 years ago, the DNR decided it would not stock man-made lakes of less than 100 acres, so we lost that source of new fish each year.” Briggs Woods Lake is 55 acres in size.

From that time forward, private donations have ensured the lake retains its reputation as a good place for fishing. The Sampson family, of Webster City, donated funds annually for a number of years.

Walleye don’t reproduce very well in man-made lakes with sandy bottoms like Briggs Woods Lake. They prefer a rocky bottom, which is more typical of glacial lakes, such as the Iowa Great Lakes, Blackhawk Lake and Clear Lake. Blackhawk Lake, near Lake View in Sac County, is said to be the southernmost glacially-formed lake in the continental United States.

Improved habitat may give walleye a better chance of survival in Briggs Woods.

Brian Lamers, Hamilton County Conservation director, explained, “Just cutting down cedar trees and putting them in the water provides shelter and habitat for walleye and other fish.”

You may wonder where walleye stocked in Briggs Woods Lake come from. Garrett Green of Beemer Fisheries, Bedford, brought the fish to Webster City Friday in a specially-equipped truck.

“These fish were raised in a lake near Alexandria, Minnesota. There are just many more lakes up there with ideal walleye habitat, and there’s better control of the species, so you get a fish with strong walleye traits.”

The fish released were nine to 10 inches long, but it’s illegal to take them until they reach 15 inches or more.

Hamilton County Deputy Sheriff Ryan Rupiper said, “Both local law enforcement and the DNR are carefully monitoring fishing at Briggs Woods Lake. Almost no walleye were illegally taken this summer.”

Local police are authorized to check fishing licenses and write tickets.

If you’d like to help keep Briggs Woods Lake stocked with fish into the future, you’re invited to make a contribution. Mail your check to Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, 501 Bank St. #1, Webster City IA 50595 and write “walleye restocking” in the memo line. All gifts are tax-deductible.