TPWD 1959 F-4-R-6 #510: Resurvey and Appraisal of Several Public Waters in Region 4E, Texas: Segment Completion Report, November 1, 1958 - October 31, 1959

Marion Toole Coordinator Report of Fisheries Investigations Resurvey and Appraisal of Several Public Waters in Region th, by Leonard Lamb Project Leader Dingelanohnson Project thwRHS, Job B=26 November 1, 1958 - October 31, 1959 Ho Do Dodges w Executive Secretary Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Texas Kanneth C. Jurgens & William H. Brown Assistant Coordinators Segment Completion Report State of TEXAS Project Noe thmR-é Name: Fisheries Investi ations and Surve s a of the waters of Region EwB. JOh No. Bw26’ Title: Resurve and Ap raisal of Several Public Waters in Region ENE. Period Covered: November 1a 1958 w OctOber 312 1959 General Abstract: Three major impoundments of Region th in North Central Texas were resurveyedo These include Lakes Benhrook, Worth, and Eagle Mountain in Tarrant Countya Gizzard shad control work on Fincastle Lake in Henderson County was rechecked to determine the effectiveness of the selective killo An abstract and discussion of each lake, including population changes, is made separatelya Objectives: A4 To study changes in abundance and in physical condition of the principal fish populations within the waters previously surveyed and as may occur. Ba To determine the ecological succession of dominance of various species and to appraise the conditions that influence and/or create such trendsu C, To more accurately determine and define the extent and duration of conditions effecting dominance and to determine what methods may be employed to bring about conditions favorable to the propagation and harvesting of game specieso Do To maintain an upwtOMdate knowledge of the various waters so that reliable and accurate data will be available in considering future management plans and recomm mandationsa Procedure: Net collections were made at net stations established during previous work in Lakes Benbrook, Eagle Mountain, Worth, and Fincastlev Specimens taken were weighed; measured, and opened”to determine sexual development, and stomach contentsu These data were recorded and filed for future usea These collections were made with nylon gill nets 100 feet by 8 feet with 1% inch square meshg Chemical analysis of the waters was not made because of the difficulty in keeping fresh standards and solutionso Some work of this type was attempted but the results were discarded when the reagents and indicators were found to have become unreliablea Changes in water level prevented the use of the former seine and rotenone collec— tion stations and these collection methods were not usedo Prepared by Leonard lamb Approved by 2 ::W Jflvflé Project Leader Director Inland Fisheries Division Date January 18, 1960 Lake Benbrook Abstract: Population trends in Lake Benbrook have changed from game fish dominance in l953-5h, when 8ho77 percent of the total net catch were largemouth bass, to rough fish dominance in 195hw55: This rough fish dominance continued until 1958w59 when game fish made up 63 percent of the net catch, with channel catfish providing 30:hh percent of the total: Discussion and Findings: Lake Benbrook is located on the Clear Fork of the Trinity River near Ft: Worth, Texas: The dam was constructed by the U, S: Corps of Engineers as a flood control and water conservation impoundment: The dam was closed September 29, 1952, but because of the lack of rainfall the lake was not completely filled until 1957: Population trends have changed to a marked degree: The net catches of the 1953a 54 segment contained 89,0? percent game fish, with largemouth bass making up 8h:77 percent of the total. The 195hw55 netting was dominated by gissard shad, comprising 22:22 percent of the total. Largemouth bass comprised only 15:90 percent of the 195A— 5 net catch, with channel catfish and spotted sucker comprising lhoTB and l3QM6 percent respectively: Game species no longer dominated the catch since they made up only 32.62 percent, The 1955-56 netting results showed a further drop in percentage of game fish to 29:50 percento Spotted suckers accounted for 51.h8 percent of the total catch, followed by white crappie and gizzard shad with 21:39 and 11:75 percent respec» tively: Channel catfish and largemouth bass were comparatively unimportant insofar as numbers taken were concerned, No. netting was done in 1957 but the l958w59 netting showed a further change with game fish making up the bulk of the catch with 63 percent (Table 1). Channel catfish were the most numerous species with 30ohh percent: Spotted sucker, gizzard shad, and largemouth bass followed with 180H7, 17:39, and 16:30 percent respectively: momowom assumed moon moOddmm menace oomoooH ocdwwmw wwcow dsHHommo Hcammsooaw doom stomeH msomwmw Erase succeed Hedmwm Hedow 20: am so mm Hm mm emowm H. 20. Hooww paces woos: snow Hm.wo sumo @040 Hooooo monouoow Home Zmddwom wmmowamc Hmmm a Hmmw: aoamH Home new prawn moowm comm HH.4H Home onO mmowo a 0% ammo. some m::mm wmams Hoom mo.om momo meow HO0.00 bum: boomer flan as:v mom mow woo omo Hum zoo Woe HOOchd some momw ::mo oops memo Hows H.ww Hm.w: How. was H00fl 2nd comm wawm oops Homm 09mm O.mm meow Homogmoro Hammuo.mo Hamosmowo momOam:mo moccam.so mow0;:omo mumo-w.oo H:4w Hana ogmm mama moms wamm moflo Eagle Mountain Lake Abstract: The dominance of game species in the net catch of the 1955w56 segment was rather marked: This was largely due to the abundance of white base which made up b8o99 percent of the total. This dominance gave way in the 1958m59 netting and rough fish accounted for 78:57 percent, with longnose gar and gizsard shed the two most abundant species, This increase in the shed population may be due, in part, to the absence of good spawning conditions for white bass which resulted in fewer predators to feed on shad, There is no reason for the increase in the number of gar taken that is apparent at this timeo Discussion and Findings: Eagle Mountain Lake is located on the west Fork of the Trinity River between Lake Worth and Lake Bridgeport: The dam was completed in 1932 as a water supply for the City of Ft: Worth, Texas: A survey of this lake was made in 1955w56: Game fish dominated the net catches uring that survey with 67:67 percent of the total, White bass made up h8o99 percent of the catch: Gizzard'shad and river carpsucker were the predominant rough fish species, The results of gill net collections during this segment indicate rough fish dominance in that 78:57 percent of all fish taken were rough fish (Table 2): Long» nosegar and giszard shad made up 319h3 and 25:72 percent of the total catch respectively: This increase in the shed population may be partially due to the low water con» ditions of the past several years which prevented the normal spawning runs of the white bass: White bass are known to feed extensively on shed and a reduction in the numbers of white bass would reduce the pressure on the shed to allow an expansion of their population: The increase in the number of gar taken is significant since the netting was done in November and therefore their abundance is not due to spawning activity: mwmowmm mooaamm men boomBOmm mew manomem moan meeHHsoodfi.dommmHo mason omnwmoowoe oUmoomH oodmwmfi swede wemm bmemmsoodfi.cmmm Evade nemwowm Goaon emdwo ma HOdoH 200 mm Hm O\ a— or do 20, Ho.oo woeew mmoam many many a.” 3 :Gmm H.pw nope HO0.00 HoamH Hem. Hmooo mmaoo Hwamo mawo memo mowo Homo oaao Hamo HH:.Ho fl 0% flag Hotmm mo.:4 womm mamm w.m: sumo H.m< o.mo Hgmm HO0.00 name 20. was Hmomdo HOOQZmd new anew res mam mww mam mac wmm mww mro Hmr m.ww ngww mace H.ww Howw maoo H.OO ooww H.mm mw.wH mmmwm Zocosmwo beam Zmaawom wmmswdmc Hmmm : Hmmm. Hams wow H00w Ema p.00 mweoo wgnw mowo comp m.4m 09mm o.mw o.mo area 2“: meomo filings align” Fumesmomm moccaweeo Homaap.ma H.oqnm.mo mayolm.Mm morm-m.:m memo-wgwo 2m: bemo Bani.“ Ella memo w.Mw H.ma H.mm m.wm warm mono 1-.“ Lake Worth Abstract: Lake Worth is an old impoundment located on the west Fork of the Trinity River near Ft: Worth, Texas: This is a shallow murky lake with a densly populated shoree line: Heavy fishing by the residents along the shoreline produces good catches of fish: Gill net collections from the 1955e56 segment show that game species made up 57:02 percent of the catch, with white crappie providing h3:80 percent of the total. The gizzard shed was the predominant rough fish species with 230%? percent of the total: The l958e59 net collections were dominated by bluegill sunfish and largemouth bass with 36:59 and 12:20 percent of the total catch respectively: Game species totaled 75:61 percent: Discussion and Findings: Lake worth is an old lake located on the West Fork of the Trinity River about 8 miles west of Ft. Worth: The dam was closed in 1912 and impounds some 5,MOO acres When full. This is a murky lake with shallow margins and a large amount of aquatic ,getation, primarily cattails and sedgeS: This is one of the more productive lakes of this area: The area is developed as a residential section with homes built almost entirely around the lake: The residents of these homes fish almost constantly with trotlines or set lines and many fish are takent The results of gill net collections made in l955~56 show that 57:02 percent of the catch were game species, with white crappie making up h3:80 percent of the total: The predominant rough fish was the gissard shad which accounted for 23:h7 percent: Game fish Species continued to dominate the net catch in 1958w59 but the bluegill sunfish was the most numerous species, comprising 36:59 percent of the catch:= It was followed by the largemonth bass with 12:20 percent: Game fish combined represented 75:61 percent of the total catch (Table 3), It is believed that the 1958w59 net catch was somewhat influenced by the ecology of the new netting stations and does not necessarily reflect a true picture of the Lake Werth fish population: It is suspected that the changes in lake level which required the selection of new netting stations produced a decided variation in the catch when compared with previous years: mwmowcm mooadmm mes newsman mood mscHHeoodw.chmmHo modes omwomoowme omen OUmoomH omamwmfi geese dmmm hmemmeode.dmmm madame msoawmw wHGmmHHH moowwmw evade newness base HoamHm Hoamw 20: rH Emdwe w: m cm 20: m:r: ::mm r:mm 4:we ::mm 4:wH m:r: Hm:mo m::r mm:me v.4m ::mm HO0.00 seem sewer emaeesm wettest: Home a Home. 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