Quinnlan Smith

University of Wisconsin–Madison | UW · Freshwater and Marine Sciences

Walleye population productivity is influenced by water temperature and water clarity, and available evidence suggests that model-predicted thermal-optical habitat area (TOHA) considered optimal for walleye populations has declined in the upper Midwest. Despite apparent relationships between TOHA and walleye populations, estimation of TOHA relies on...

Project updates on thesis research related to thermal-optical habitat area (TOHA) and walleye populations.

Available evidence suggests that walleye population status is influenced by water temperature and light levels and that the availability of thermal-optical habitat area (TOHA) considered optimal for walleye growth has changed over time. Despite the apparent connection between TOHA and population status, no previous study has empirically assessed wa...

Proliferation of warmwater fish in northern lakes has significant implications for food web structure and fisheries management. Specifically, proliferation of centrarchids (e.g., largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus) could have important implications for yellow perch Perca fla...

Behavioral responses of fishes to littoral zone habitat enhancements are relatively understudied in diverse fish communities but are critical for understanding overall fish community responses. To advance knowledge on effects of coarse woody habitat (CWH) littoral zone enhancements, we initiated a long-term study on Sanford Lake, Vilas County, Wisc...

Coarse woody habitat (CWH) additions have increased in popularity in Midwestern United States lakes,however many of these recent additions have not been treated as deliberate experiments to examine long-term fisheries responses. Past CWH removal studies have shown reduction in fish growth rates, declines in forage fish abundance, and behavioral cha...

Sass GG, Shaw SL, Rooney TP, Rypel AL, Raabe JK, Smith QC, Hrabik TR, Toshner ST. 2019. Coarse woody habitat and glacial lake fisheries in the Midwestern United States: knowns, unknowns, and experiment to advance our knowledge. Lake Reserv Manage. XX:XXX–XXX. Coarse woody habitat (CWH) additions have increased in popularity in glacial lakes (i.e. k...