TPWD 1962 F-5-R-9 #780: Fisheries Reconnaissance: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 1-B, Job No. 3-32

JOB COMPLETION REPORT AS required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No. F—5—R-9 Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region l-B Job No. 3—32 .Fisheries Reconnaissance Project Leader Lawrence S. Campbell H.o Du Dodgen Executive Secretary ’Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin9 Texas Marion Toole D-J Coordinator Eugene A. walker Director, Program Planning June 289 19621 ABSTRACT Reconnaissance work included using nets and seines to sample fish populations in 18 lakes and 3 stream areaso The fish obtained in 168 net sets and numerous seine hauls were examined to determine major changes in relative abundance of species and the size and utility of the various game fish produced. Vital factors such as reproduction and other requirements were studied; as were basic productive influences as water quality; aquatic vegetation and water level fluctuations. Aspects of the fish harvest were investigated to determine public ingress and egress9 creel results; access roads and other conveniences, and the restrictions on means and methods of taking fish. Specific reconnaissance to evaluate pre- viously completed development work was included for three major impoundments and several smaller bodies of water; Experiments in stocking were examined to deter- mine initial success; and additional data on stream production were obtained to aid in for ulating better fish harvest regulations; The work accomplished during the year is divided into five classifications that were determined by the basic purpose or objective of the field work; These were: (1) Primary or major im- poundment studies where up to date records are necessary in affording priority to management work; (2) new or unexplored waters investigated as a result of requests for aid; (3) secondary reservoirs investigated for the same basic reasons as major impoundments, but that are too small or attract too few sports— men from too limited an area to be included under the major impoundment classi- fication; (4) evaluation of management where waters were re-examined to deter— mine if successful renovation has been accomplished and if the expense required was justified; (5) acquisition of specific data to evaluate experimental management; for providing a better basis for formulating harvest recommendations, or where new techniques are evaluated. JOB COMPTETIOR REPORT State of Texas Project No; FmfiwR-9 Name: Fisheries Tnvettngas one and Surve s of the Waters of Region 1-3; Formerl Job Non B~32 Title; lisheries Reconnaissance Period Goreredz Ma Rh 1 _1961 _ Eehrierj_ffi_fllgo? Otjectives: To conduct limith investigatT. a a obtain current info rmat.ion concerr“og gross changes in fish“rg conditioc' r us influencing fish populations; Techniques Jsed: Gill nets and seines were used to sample fish populations of 18 lakes and 3 streams during the year; Fish population samples were studied to dFTchTFE major changes in the balance hetseen desirable and undesirable species and for changes in the relative abundance; size and utilitj of the various game fish. heir cg produced; Chinese in the condit on of fish populations sere noted and evidence of successful FQQTORUGZLrfl and other vital functions were re.cor dedn Data 1: rega:rdinlgj nrodu ctive influence such as we lityD :quatic vegetation; and lake fluctuatior sore recorded; isrects atrecting hart est of the resource such and th: “ompOTTRTOfl of steals a. during th.e genI; rel investigation without extensiva “to ingot ies and investi- gations als so included determining basic land usag: for the watershed and possible sourc cos of pollutiono A total of 167 netting collections and 11 seini veg collectiors was obtained A netting collection is here defin.ed as one gil.1 net set overnight in a single location A soloing c-i 1ection is con ideree to he the collective results of seining a small sit as och as a beach; inlet;3 hole; it her regardle.ss of the number of hauls 1rvolv ec Netting and seining locations established in prevroc work were utilised as much as was poss1hle for sanoling in to n41 s rreo Sometimes more than one rettcdg trap was made to the same lake so her sampling could be conducted unset diffs rent climatic or seasonal conditions or because the det.a crevious effort mes ohvi on suly insufficient; The too; ography of {3 Produced by 1 such that seining mas impossihlcD and editing effo ts will be some lakes n reported by cums; o - ' a 1‘1 C. 4': ..-- =- 1scuss1on cor that reason" The data collected. are. here are balance hetween.deei able and un Psi; in condition of incorrect are.cieso Data arc rder to note major ch.anges in the 1 Inced; and t.o ascertain charges also examined to determ1ne if a more detailed and elaborate resurvey will be required before conclusions can be reliably determined. Some of the data are obviously insufficient and sampling techniques are imperfect. For that reason no recommendation is made in several instances. The equipment used included nylon gill nets, measuring 125 feet in length9 8 feet in depth3 and made up in 25 foot sections of varying size mesh. Beginning with a 1~inch square mesh section the nets increased by l/2~inch inter- vals in succeeding sections to a 3-inch square mesh section. Several other nets were used for specific sampling. These had similar dimensions to experimental nets. except their construction included 1-. 1 1/2-9 2- and 3—inch mesh sections only. Various seines were used including a 12-foot common sense seine, and a 25- and 30—foot. one-fourth inch mesh seine. The limited investigations conducted under reconnaissance were primarily motivated by a need for additional information and data to provide answers to some of the problems outlined and discussed in Fisheries Problem Determination reports9 Job Dal. for projects F-R-Rw?3 F—S-R—S9 and F~5mR-9. The work performed permits the materials here presented to be organized or classified in accordance with the basic reason or purpose for the field investigation. All waters re- connoitered under this job are reported under a classification system similar to that used by Bonn in reporting reconnaissance for project F~8-R-83 Job No. 3—21. More detailed reporting of specific findings for the other jobs under this project are available in other completion reports, and the information used here is limited to providing a general and comprehensive picture of the basic conditions encountered. The five general classifications used are: Class I - Primary or Major Reservoirs Defined as lakes heavily utilized and of primary importance to large numbers of sportsmen that travel to the lake from a large geographical area. Class II - New or Unexplored Waters New reservoirs3 small lakes and stream areas that have not been previously surveyed or evaluated. Class 111- Secondary Reservoirs Small lakes that are of primary importance in a local area9 but that do not commonly attract sportsmen from great distances. Also lakes that are too small to be afforded primary classification. Class IV - Evaluation of Management A re-examination of waters that have been renovated to determine if methods have been effective. and to ascertain if the benefits obtained justify the expense required. Class V - Ac uisition of S ecific Data Experimental management efforts are evaluateds data for formulating fish harvest regulations are obtained9 and experimental techniques in sampling are examined. Findings: References are madesthroughout this report3 to a number of species of fish. The following checklist has been prepared to assure correct identification. longnose gar ----------------------- leoisostess osseus gizzard shad ----------------------- DoEosoma cepedianum banded tetra --------------- m ------- Astvanax mexicanus smallmouth buffalo ----------------- ‘Ictiobus bubalus river carpsueker ------------------- Carpiodes carpio gray redhorse ---------------------- Moxostoma congestum carp -------------------------------- C Einus carpio golden Shiner ---------------------- Notem onus crysoleucas spottail shiner -------------------- Notroais yenustus redhorse shiner -------------------- .EE lutEensis Eoundnos e shin.er ------------------- Dionda episcopa plains minnow ---------------------- Hvbo nathus placita channel catfish -------------------- Ictalcrrs punctatus blue catfish ----------------------- I. fE.E catus black bullhead --------------------- I. melas yellow bullhead-m-w--—~-~~~---_-m-:II netdlis flathead catfish ------------------ wmvlodictus olivaris t1 ldewater silverzide --------------- Me idia beryllina whit.e bass ------------------------- Reccus cthII largemouth baSSr---_--*----‘"--_--:MiCTO terns salm01des greens sunfish ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lgpom , aneIIgg redear sunfish --------------------- .iu microlophu bluegill --------------------------- .in macrochirus yellowbelly sunfish ---------------- .ln auritus longear sun.fish -------------------- II_._ e_g-=-f white cra.ppie ---------------------- (IgggéIgcaggIl fresha1*ater dtrum -------------------- ailodinotus Eunn.iens red drum (redfish} ----------------- IQIIotnons ocellata atlantic croaker ------------------- Micronogon undulatus spotted squeateague (speckled troutjfi C_no eioc_rebulosus Rio grands cichlid ----------------- .Ecbrasom cyanoguttatuma mosquitofish ----------------------- “Gem usia :2; " Ma'or Reservoirs of Primer As previously stated these waters are of primary importance because of utilization by sportsme.n from extensive areas and this utilization is regarded as being more important t.han the size of the reservo1r. The purpose of re— connaissance here is to provide up— to- ~date informatior on the particular waters productivity in game fish and to provide a basis for affording priority to management effort. The netting data obtained are included in tables 1 and 2. Pertinent seining data and observations are included in the follOwing discussion. Hoards Creek Reservoir was constructed and is operated by the U. S. Corps of Army Engineers. The first water impounded was in 1950. This municipal water supply is 8.7 miles west of Coleman9 has 83640 acre feet of water at conservation pool capacityS and at that elevation covers 510 acres. There are 11 miles of shoreline9 and the Corps of Engineers maintain excellent access roads around the lake. Picnicking facilities and seven boat launching ramps are conducive to heavy utilization. During the year the lake commonly ranges between 5 and 10 feet below conservation pool elevation of 1900 feet. No pollution9 vegetation or access problems were noted. The water of the lake is nearly always clearI and pH is usually near 8. One of the primary changes in relative abundance of fishes as revealed by this investigation is that the lake no longer produces or sustains a sizable population of redear sunfish. The lake was formerly acclaimed for this asset. One netting collection indicated the average size of these fish to be 4 ounces9 but on a second trip9 when 82 of these fish were captured. the average size was only 1.9 ounces. Another population trend. that has been expected for some time, was the increase in gizzard shad and river carpsuckers. The capture of a single small flathead catfish may indicate reproduction by that species has occurred. The reservoir continues to produce excellent fishing for largemouth bass and channel catfish. and because of its location and conveniences is highly utilized. Seining included the capture of spottail shiners9 mosquitofish9 redear sunfish3 bluegill. green sunfish and largemouth bass fingerlings. Lake Colorado City is located five miles southwest of Colorado City in Mitchell County on Morgan Creek. At service spillway elevation this lake contains 31.800 acre feet and covers 29030 acres. Security measures necessary to the national defense in protecting the hydro-electric power plant on the lake's shores continue to prevent public access to the lower one-half of the lake. This restriction is not without public benefit as pointed out in completion report for job 3-279 Project F-5-R-T; since the restriction provides an area where catfish reproduction is highS and where other game species can reproduce without harassment. The lake shore area is heavily developed in private cabins, club houses and concessions. and the areas where public access is available are limited. In spite of these limitations the lake is heavily fished by sportsmen that travel from distances of over 200 miles. Netting and seining collections reflect the tremendous production of game fish by this reservoir. Over 60 per cent of netting collections consisted of channel catfish9 largemouth bass and desirable white crappie (avg. wt. 8.9 ounces). Another prime fishery that is not particularly apparent in examination of netting data is the flathead catfish population. These fish are much sought after and are often captured by local anglers. Although gizzard shad and river carpsuckers are established in this lake they do not yet appear to be as detri- mental to game fish production as is apparent in other regional waters. Large- mouth bass appear to be increasing through natural spawning success and because of other factors that are not clearly understood. This is unusual for the region and the apparent failure of white bass to increase after being introduced is not consistent with trends common to the region. The effect of phenomena unique to this lake will require further study. Seining captured gizrard shad. spottail shiners3 redhorse shiners3 largemouth bass3 bluegill and white crappie. Lake Nasworthy is the primary source of municipal water for San Angelo» Texas. This lake is 6.5 miles southwest of the city and impounds the middle and south Concho Rivers. At spillway capacity 1.300 acres are covered. and volume at that elevation is about 12.390 acre feet. Bulrushes (Scirpus)3 cattails (Typhus) and yellow water lillies (Numphar) continue to offer some obstructions to fishing and boating. However, as a result of chemical control measures described and reported in completion report for Job. No. 15a7. Pro- ject F-lS-D-39 the shore areas are Open to fishing. and in many instances the vegetation provides some protection from harassment by skiers. It is possible that the increase in largemouth bass may also be attributable to the clearing of shore areas. This work not only provided a greater spawning area and reduced harassment3 but also permits circulation of the waters immediately adjacent to the shores and reduces excessive temperatures and stagnation. Public utilization and interest in this lake remains intensive and the construction of facilities to permit and encourage recreation continues. Many sizable catches of largemouth bass and flathead catfish have been observed during reconnaissance, and there is little basis for doubting that the game fish produced and harvested is greater than has occurred for many years. Only five gill net collections were made and these data do not indicate significant changes in relative abundance. The lake's fish populations appear to have reached a static balance, with gizzard shad and river carpsucker main— taining their dominance. The failure to capture white crappie is regarded as a sampling deficiency. The potential development of a desirable fishery resource on the south and middle Concho watersheds and a subsequent renovation of Lake Nasworthy is dis- cussed in the resurvey report for Project F-5-R-8. The dam that will create the reservoir above Lake Nasworthy is scheduled for completion in October of 1962. The addition of a hydro—electric power plant to the shores of Lake Nas- worthy may be a means of improving and sustaining the game fishery resource. Oak Creek Reservoir is three miles southeast of Blackwell. Texas, on the Nolan-Coke County line. At spillway level the reservoir contains 52,900 acre feet of water and covers 1.500 acres. Practically no run—off has entered the lake for over a year and the lake level was down nearly 13 feet when the col- lection was made in January of 1962. The current volume of 16,456 acre feet is the least quantity of water contained since the reservoir filled in 1953. Associated with this recession, extended periods of turbidity have occurred and food production was adversely affected. There has been a noticeable de~ cline in the quantity of the game fish harvest and few desirable creels have been reported during the year. Table 5 provides the results of 10 netting collections obtained. The dominance by river carpsuckers as indicated by the netting sample is considered near typical of collections obtained under the circumstances. However, the indicated increase in relative abundance of those fish (from 13.99 per cent in 1960 to 80.95 per cent in 1962) is considered highly significant. This increase supports the previous prediction that conditions of low water would result in an acceleration of the trend of undesirable fish toward complete dominance. There may also have been a corresponding increase in flathead catfish as was reported by responsible sportsmen. Further reconnaissance should be conducted at this lake to ascertain trends of populations, and if further recession occurs, to provide more extensive background data to decide what management effort is most likely to be fruitful. A study of the effect of the newly created power plant upon fish populations might also be justifiable. San Angelo Reservoir is a primary flood control structure constructed and operated under the auspices of the U. S. Corps of Engineers. The dam is adjacent to the northwestern residential section of San Angelo, and at con— servation pool the reservoir contains 119.188 acre feet of water. The water impounded is a secondary source for municipal water, and at conservation pool elevation approximately 5.456 acres are covered. For the third consecutive year the lake was receded by over 30.000 acre feet below conservation storage. As previously pointed out, the unobstructed expanse of open water is detri- mental to fishing because of the frequency of occurrence of prevailing winds. However. heavy public fishing continues. 0n week ends and holidays launching areas and other facilities are always crowded. White bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish and small white crappie sustain fishing. Results of netting collections are in tables 6 and 7. Fish populations may have reached a near static condition, and the average size for mostgame fish taken is large. This has motivated a decision to hold the state plug fishing contest on this lake, and it is expected that the results from this fishing, by highly skilled anglers, will be high and should exceed results from some lakes previously selected. However. the apparent lack of natural reproduction by largemouth bass indicates that those fish are declining numerically. One interest- ing aspect of netting done near the entrance of the river was the capture of 46 freshwater drum. Although seven of these fish were netted in resurvey work for Project F-5-R-7, none were taken in previous sampling. These fish are normally difficult to capture in routine netting with the equipment normally used. It may be possible that San Angelo reservoir has sustained a higher population of drum than indicated; since these fish appear to concentrate in specific locations and their chance capture in samples might not have occurred. However, it is believed more probable that substantial quantities of these fish have entered the lake by migrating from the watershed above. Reconnaissance should be con- tinued with the view that renovation of this reservoir should be accomplished when the other area waters are providing desirable game fish production in order that a rotation type management plan can be put into effect. Seining indicated reproduction by gizzard shad, carp, and white crappie. Spottail shiners and redhorse shiners were also captured by that method. New or Unexplored Waters The following data and discussion pertain to waters that had not been previously investigated. The motivation for including this work under recon— naissance is varied. In several instances the work was done at the request of municipal authorities while other work was in progress on nearby waters of primary or major importance. Other minor reservoirs were the only public fishing waters for a particular locality where past utilization indicated management would be justified. Investigations of unknown waters were also made when a basic rotation management plan was being considered for a particular area. In these situations the secondary reservoir would serve to provide limited fishing while renovation procedures were being employed to improve production in a primary or major reservoir. Santa Fe Lake is privately owned by the Santa Fe Railroad, and is located 3 miles north of Sweetwater in Nolan County. The lake covers about 80 acres at spillway elevationamd was near capacity at time of survey. This is an old lake constructed about 1926 and is greatly filled in by siltation. The lake is primarily fished by anglers for sunfish,and public fishing is limited. Shore fishing predominates methods used and access roads around the lake are needed. Vegetation is a primary problem as much of the shore is congested by pondweeds (Potamogeton), and muskgrass (Chara). Netting results from this investigation are shown in table 8. Largemouth bass were not captured in this netting, but fingerling bass were secured in seining and larger fish are known to be occasionally taken by sportsmen. The average size for sunfish and crappie is interpreted as being indicative of stunting through excessive numbers of those Species, and channel catfish appear to be the most significant fishery resource. There is little doubt that this lake is not fished intensively enough by a sufficient number of persons to justify spending any sizable amount of federal aid money. However, the lake has served as an alternate source for fishing while renovation of Lake Sweetwater was being effectuated, and can be expected to supply similar aid if Lake Trammel or Oak Creek Reservoir are included in future develop— ment work. Members of the board that control and regulate the lake have indicated that they may be interested in spending part of the revenue taken by sale of boat— ing permits to control the aquatic vegetation or to improve the game fish pro- duction. It is recommended that management and further investigations of this lake be turned over to the state biologist for inclusion in that category of the regional work. Secondary Reservoirs The waters included under this category are usually of primary importance only in relatively small and localized areas. Some of the waters are simply too small to be afforded primary classification; although the yield in game fish on a per acre basis may exceed many primary waters. A few of the waters here de- signated as secondary reservoirs may be elevated to major classification in the future, when utilization and productivity warrant the change. Novice Lake is a former water supply for that city and is located on Jim Ned Creek watershed about 30 miles west of Coleman in Coleman County. The lake has about 40 acres and volume is not known. The lake has afforded excellent fishing in the past and the reconnaissance work was completed at the request of local sportsmen who desired recommendations to restore fishing. As shown in Table 9. gizzard shad and carpsuckers dominate the lake. Stunted crappie are excessive and bullheads further complicate and detract from game fish production. Renovation is recommended when federal aid requirements are met. 01d Winters Lake is a former water supply for the city of Winters in northern Runnels County on Elm Creek watershed. The lake has about 50 surface acres and impounds about 250 acre feet when at apillway level. In compliance with requests from the municipal authorities, reconnaissance work by seining was completed in the spring of 1961. The lake had receded at this time to less than 30 acre feet of water and was completely dominated by carp and gizzard shad. Following this investigation the lake was eradicated and subsequent restocking is expected to effectuate complete renovation. New Winters Lake.Reconnaissance sampling of this 250 acre lake was completed during the spring of 1961. This reservoir was much receded from its spillway capacity of about 11.000 acre feet at the time. and turbidity was high as a result of suspended red colloidal materials. As shown in Table 10, gizzard shad and river carpsuckers dominated fish population. However, significant channel catfish and white crappie pOpulations apparently afford some successful game fish production. The data obtained are entirely insufficient, and further reconnaissance; will be necessary in the future. New Anson Lake is located 9 miles north of Anson and is that city“s primary water supply. The lake was maintained near spillway capacity during the year and at that elevation covers about 350 surface acres. Suspended colloidal materials provide turbidity and help to control submerged aquatic vegetation, but yellow water lillies (Numphar Sp.) render fishing in the shallow shore areas difficult. Netting data in Table 11 indicate that gizzard shad, river carpsuckers and black bullheads dominate rough fish species. Channel catfish and small white crappie constitute the bulk of game fish captured. Seining was unproductive due to the previously mentioned vegetation; however. many small sunfish and minnows were observed. There are no shore access roads around this lake and only one launching area is accessible. A significant portion of the lake is surrounded by private property. and this area is fenced to prohibit access to fishermen. It is believed that if a road could be opened up over the dam the lake would be more accessible and would as a consequence accommodate more fishermen. 01d Anson Lake is a former water supply for Anson and is approximately 4 miles south of that city. It was estimated that the lake usually covered about 80 acres during the project period. Much of the shoreline is inaccessible to sportsmen. access being prohibited by bulrushes (Scirpus). The city purchased the chemical required for control of these plants and limited application has been initiated. Results of netting collections are in Table 12 and Table 13. The only significant aspect of the limited data obtained is the abundance of golden shiners that were captured in the March netting. Since only 25 feet of each experimental gill net used was capable of capturing these fish. it is con- sidered likely that a large population of these shiners is present. The second netting was made primarily to explore this problem and only six individuals were captured. Golden shiners and bluegills that were rather small appear to be the only undesirable species presently occurring in the lake in great numbers. Seining was again unproductive because of the limited area where sampling could be accomplished. Lake Trammel is located 5 miles south of Sweetwater, and is one of three sources of municipal water. This lake is the control reservoir into which water is pumped from Oak Creek Reservoir. At spillway elevation the lake covers about 200 acres and contains 2,500 acre feet. water in the lake is normally clear but the water usage practices result in extreme fluctuation. Boat launching facilities and access roads around the lake are very limited. and occasionally aquatic vegetation reduces the effectiveness of fishing for the lake shores. Many anglers that fish at Lake Trammel are ”bream“ fishermen. and it would be desirable if more shoreline access roads were available. Table 14 indicates that fish populations in this lake are primarly game species. These data are in accord with initial survey findings and with data from resurvey completed under Projects F-5-R-6 and F+5~R+Yt «Although the.average size of white crappie captured in collections was only 2.3 ounces. several of the individuals netted were of desirable size. Channel catfish were not captured in reconnaissance netting. but previous investigation has established that a sizeable and healthy population of these fish exist. Extreme changes in relative