TPWD 1967 F-3-R-14 #1102: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species in Sam Rayburn Reservoir

JOB COMPLETION REPORi‘ fE‘; : 5: As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project Non F—S-Rwl4 Region S-B Fisheries Studies Job No. B-22 Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species in Sam Rayburn Reservoir' Project Leader: Joe E: Toole J° R. Singleton Executive Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene An Walker D—J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services March 15, 1967 ABSTRACT A total of 51 species were collected during seining and netting activities on Sam Rayburn Reservoir during the 2 segment period of this study. Twenty—nine species of fish were netted from the Reservoir this segment. Twelve game fish species were collected and 17 rough fish species as compared to 12 game fish species and 15 rough fish species taken in 1965. All the game fish species exhibited a high coefficient of condition. Sam Rayburn Reservoir has become one of the most popular fishing lakes in Region S—B. Bass and crappie fishing has been excellent with many fisherman catching limits. Numerous camping and launching facilities have been built by the U. S. Corps of Engineers and the U. S. Forest Service. Many recreational areas are under construction at present. Netting data compiled during both segments indicate considerable increases in game fish numbers during the spring and summer months. These increases are primarily due to the collection of young fish which suggests that successful spawning has occurred. In review of these data further stocking of largemouth bass and crappie is not recommended. Sufficient field data have been collected to establish criteria for game and rough fish populations and the need for further stocking of game fish. It is therefore recommended that this job be terminated. FINAL REPORT State of Texas Name: Region 5~B.Fisheries Studies Project No. Fu5wR~14 Title: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species in Sam Rayburn Job No. B—22 Reservoir Period Covered: February 1, 1966 a January 51, 1967 OBJECTIVES: To gather fundamental information on the newly impounded waters of Sam Rayburn Reservoir in relation to their physical, chemical and biological aspects. HISTORY: Sam Rayburn Reservoir was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of March 2, 1945. Work was begun on the dam in 1957 and completed in 1965. The earth filled dam is located on the Angelina River, 25.2 river miles above its confluence with the Neches River and approximately 10 miles northwest of Jasper, Texas. The dam has a height of 120 feet above the stream bed, a 50 foot crown, and a overall length of 19,450 feet. The dam has an uncontrolled spillway of 2,200 feet. The upstream slope of the dam is protected from eorsion by rip—rap. Water was impounded in April, 1965. At the top of the power pool, elevation 164.0 feet, the lake will cover an area of approximately 114,500 acres with approximately 560 miles of shore line. The present surface acreage is approximately 80,000 — 90,000. Sam Rayburn Dam is designed as a multiwpurpose dam providing water conservation, hydrowelectric power, flood control, recreation, and benefits to navigation. Hatchery fish were stocked in the reservoir in 1965 and 1966. Listed below are the species and number that have been stocked to date. Largemouth bass 461,000 Warmouth 80,000 Redear sunfish 550,000 Longear sunfish 40,000 Crappie 7,000 PROCEDURES: A collecting trip was planned for each month of the segment. Data collected each month included gill netting results and seining collections. -2- Netting Methods Experimental gill nets were used for all netting. These nets are 150 feet long and 8 feet deep with mesh size ranging from 1 to 5% inches in 25 foot sections. The nets were set out in the afternoon and picked up the following morning. A11 netted fish were separated according to species, then counted and weighed. Sexual condition and stomach contents were also recorded. Coefficients of condition (”K" factor) of game fish species were calculated. Seining Seining collections were made with a 26 foot by 6 foot bag seine with t inch mesh and a 15 foot by 4 foot bag seine with 1/8 inch mesh. Fish Collections A total of 51 species, representing 14 families were collected from Sam Rayburn Reservoir as shown in Table 1. This is an increase of 22 species and five (5) families over the previous segment. Netting A total of 2,152 fish made up of 29 species were collected by netting. The smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) was the most numerous species collected with a total of 667 (51.29 per cent). Figure 1 shows a sample of smallmouth buffalo. Black bullhead (Ictalurus melas) was by number the second most numerous species collected with 246 (11.54 per cent). The most numerous game fish species netted was the black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) with 194 (9.10 per cent). Smallmouth buffalo had the highest percentage by weight (26.15 per cent) with the carp (Cyprinus carpio) having the second highest per cent by weight (19.59 per cent). Figure 2 shows some of the 209 carp taken during the 1966 segment. Table 2 contains the number, per cent of number, weight and per cent of weight of the total netting results during the 1966 segment. Table 5 contains the number, per cent of number, weight and per cent of weight of the total netting results during the 1965 segment. Table 4 is a chart showing the monthly catch of individual species. Table 5 indicates the coefficient of condition (”K” factor) for each species of game fish collected. All species of game fish collected were in good condition. Figure 5 shows a sample of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) taken in January 1967. Seining Collections Six seining collections were made this segment consisting of 60 seine drags. A total of 1,640 specimens, representing 55 species were collected. Seining conditions have improved this segment due to the water level becoming more stable and killing the small brush along the marginal areas of the lake. Table 6 gives the number of each species taken by seining this segment. .— I. II. III. IV. VI. -5, Table l A Checklist of Sam Rayburn Reservoir Fish Species Family: LEPISOSTEIDAE ~ Gar l. 2. 5. Lepisosteus spatula — alligator gar Lepisosteus occulatus — spotted gar Lepisosteus osseus — longnose gar Family: AMIIDAE _ Bowfin 4. Amia calva ~ bowfin Family: CLUPEIDAE _ Herrings 5. 6. Dorosoma petenense — threadfin shad Dorosoma cepedianum — gizzard shad Family: ESOCIDAE m Pickerels 7. Esox americanus — grass pickerel 8. Esox niger _ chain pickerel Family: OATOSTOMIDAE — Suckers and buffalofishes 9. Cycleptus elongatus — blue sucker 10. Ictiobus cyprinellus — bigmouth buffalo ll. Ictiobus bubalus — smallmouth buffalo l2. Carpiodes carpio _ river carpsucker 15. Minytrema melanops m spotted sucker 14. Erimyzon sucetta — lake chubsucker Family: CYPRINIDAE w Shiners and minnows 15. 16. 17. Cyprinus carpio — carp Notemigonus crysoleucas n golden shiner Notropis atherinoidesie emerald shiner -4- Table 1 (continued) A Checklist of Sam Rayburn Reservoir Fish Species 18. Notropis fumeus — ribbon shiner l9. Notropis chalybaeus — ironcolor shiner 20. NotrOpis texanus — weed shiner 21. Notropis amnis — pallid shiner 22. Notropis venustus — blacktail shiner 25. Notropis lutrensis — redhorse shiner 24. Notropis stramineus — sand shiner 25. Notropis atrocaudalis — blackspot shiner 26. Notr0pis maculatus — taillight shiner VII. Family: AMEIURIDAE — Freshwater catfishes 27. Ictalurus punctatus — channel catfish 28. Ictalurus furcatus — blue catfish 29. Ictalurus melas - black bullhead 50. Ictalurus natalis — yellow bullhead 51. Pylodictis olivaris — flathead catfish VIII. Family: CYPRINODONTIDAE — Killifishes and topminnows 52. Fundulus notatus — blackstripe topminnow IX. Family: POECILIDAE _ Mosquitofishes 55. Gambusia affinis — mosquitofish X. Family: ATHERINIDAE — Silversides 54. Labidesthes sicculus — brook silversides XI. Family: APHREDODERIDAE — Pirate perch 55. Aphredoderus sayanus - pirate perch ”5. Table 1 (continued) A Checklist of Sam Rayburn Reservoir Fish Species XII. Family: CENTRARCHIDAE ~ Black basses and sunfishes 56. Micropterus punctulatus — spotted base 57. Micropterus salmoides — largemouth bass 58. Chaenobryttus gulosus — warmouth 59. Lepomis cyanellus — green sunfish 40. Lepomis punctatus — spotted sunfish 41. Lepomis microlophus — readear sunfish 42. Lepomis macrochirus — bluegill sunfish 45. Lepomis humilis — orangespotted sunfish 44. Lepomis auritus — redbreast sunfish 45. Lepomis megalotis — longear sunfish 46. Pomoxis annularis — white crappie 47. Pomoxis nigromaculatus — black crappie 48. Centrarchus macropterus - flier XIII. Family: PERCIDAE — Perches and darters 49. Percino caprodes — logperch 50. Etheostoma gracile — slough darter XIV. Family: SCIAENIDAE— Croakers, drum, and weakfishes 51. Aplodinotus grunniens - freshwater drum -5- Table 2 Netting Collections from Sam Rayburn Reservoir — 1966 Species Number Per Cent No. Weight Per Cent Weight Alligator gar 25 1.08 255.56 9.65 Spotted gar 54 1.59 67.94 2.78 Longnose gar 42 1.97 99.87 4.09 Bowfin 95 4.56 529.94 15.51 Gizzard shad 48 2.25 8.21 0.54 Grass pickerel 1 0.05 0.57 0.02 Chain pickerel 2 0.09 1.06 0.04 Bigmouth buffalo 48 2.25 152.01 5.41 Smallmouth buffalo 667 51.29 658.65 26.15 River carpsucker l 0.05 1.75 0.07 Spotted sucker 55 2.58 41.81 1.71 Lake chubsucker 5 0.14 0.87 0.05 Carp 209 9.80 478.45 19.59 Golden shiner l 0.05 0.15 0.01 Channel catfish 14 0.66 25.24 1.05 Black bullhead 246 11.54 104.56 4.28 Yellow bullhead 55 2.48 40.56 1.65 Flathead catfish 5 0.25 19.87 0.81 Spotted bass 5 0.25 4.15 0.17 Largemouth bass 54 1.59 54.99 2.25 Warmouth 75 5.52 17.88 0.75 Spotted sunfish 1 0.05 0.25 0.01 Redear sunfish 1 0.05 0.57 0.02 Bluegill sunfish 110 5.16 25.18 1.05 -7- Table 2 (continued) Netting Collections from Sam Rayburn Reservoir — 1966 Species Number Per Cent No. Weight Per Cent Weight Redbreast sunfish 6 0.28 1.52 0.05 White crappie 150 6.10 45.18 1.77 Black crappie 194 9.10 51.57 1.29 Flier 14 0.66 1.50 0.06 Drum 17 0.80 55.58 1.45 _________________L_______________mn________________________fl_i__________ Totals '2152 100.00 2442.58 100.00 Table 5 Netting Collections from Sam Rayburn Reservoir — 1965 Species Number Per Cent No. Weight Per Cent Weight Alligator gar 121 15.67 495.19 54.56 Spotted gar 25 2.82 29.51 2.05 Longnose gar 44 4.97 77.57 5.42 Bowfin 96 10.84 184.64 12.95 Gizzard shad '5 0.68 6.57 0.47 Blue sucker l 0.11 2.75 0.19 Bigmouth buffalo .15 1.47 26.12 1.85 Smallmouth buffalo 158 15.60 145.67 10.21 River carpsucker 22 2.49 5.26 0.57 Spotted sucker 5 0.54 2.50 0.18 Lake chubsucker 1 0.11 0.19 0.02 Carp 259 27.00 280.62 19.66 Channel catfish 14 1.58 18.75 1.51 —8— Table 5 (continued) Netting Collections from Sam Rayburn Reservoir — 1965 Species Number Per Cent No. Weight Per Cent Weight Blue catfish 8 0.91 56.15 2.55 Black bullhead 49 5.55 22.58 1.56 Yellow bullhead 9 1.01 7.12 0.50 Flathead catfish 9 1.02 29.29 2.05 Spotted bass 2 0.25 2.68 0.19 Largemouth bass 8 0.90 9.57 0.66 Warmouth 21 2.57 4.44 0.51 Bluegill sunfish 16 1.81 5.56 0.25 Redbreasted sunfish 5 0.54 0.26 0.02 Longear sunfish 1 0.12 0.19 0.01 White crappie 12 1.56 10.24 0.72 Black crappie 8 0.90 5.15 0.22 Flier l 0.12 0.25 0.02 Drum 15 1.70 25.12 1.76 Totals 885 100.00 1427.10 100.00 Food Most of the fish stomachs examined contained some type of food. The most common food items found were small shad and crayfish. Seining col“ lections and the sighting of many schools of small shad indicates that there is a good supply of_forage fish available for the game fish species.