TPWD 1955 F-4-R-2 #162: Inventory of Species Present in Lake Whitney, Texas

' i - I if: " : he" ._.... STATE Texas 3 PROJECT NOo FmEmRm2; Job Bwl . PERIODManeTlQTl9SLIéTOéikj3l}Li955d]p ” L * SEGMENT COMPLETION REPORT ii at: 2:... by Robert No Hambric . Assistant Project Leader TITLE Inventory of Species Present in Lake Whitney, Texas OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative abundance and tomdetermine the ecological factors influencing their distributiona HISTORY OF TAKE Lake Whitney is located on the Brazos River in Hill, Basque? and Johnson Counties, Texas approximately 38 river miles upstream from waco, Texaco The Whitney. Dam and Reservoir was constructed by the Army Engineers for flood control and develOpm ment of hydroelectric power and for recreational purposesa The gates of the dam were closed on December 10, 19519 The lake reached conservation pool level with a storage 3f 15,800 surface acres of water in April l95ho COLLECTING METHODS Gill nets were used to collect random samples of the fish populationo The nets were 100 or 125 feet long? 8 feet deep and had meshes of l to 3 inches measured on the squareo Data taken from the netted fish included their length, weight, sang and degree of gonadal developmento Scale samples were collected for future referenceo Notes were made of any fungus or parasites found on the fisho Sampling was also done with minnow seines during most months of the yearg The seined specimens were preserved in 6 percent formalin and taken to the laboratory to be counted and identifiedo Table l is a checklist of all species collected from lake Whitney during this period of studyo RESULTS OF SEINING COLLECTIONS Lake Whitney was sampled with various types of minnow seines during June and September of 195% and from February through September of 19550 A total of 1132A? specimens was collected in 42 samples from 9 seine stationso Table 2 records the species collected and the percentage of the total catch that each representso Gissard shad accounted for 55065 percent and the plains red shiner for 28 percent of the total fish caughto‘ Small shad from 1 to 2% inches long were found to be plentiful throughm out the entire sampling perioda The surface temperature of the shallow water at the seining sites varied from 58% degrees F9 in February to 92 degrees F0 in Augusta Other records show that a wider range of temperature may be found in the lake at various times of the yearo The plains red shiner (Notrogis lutrensis) seemed to be the least affected by a temperature drop in the shallow watero Many small fish of this species have been found throughout the entire year} indicating spawning activities in the late summer and fella The spottail minnow (Notropis venustus) and Parrot minnow (Pimephales vigilax)_ were the only other species that accounted for more than one percent of the entire collections Largemouth bass from 1% to 2 3/h inches long were found in May and Juneo Kenm tucky spotted bass of approximately the same size were also collected during those monthso White bass 1% to 3 inches long were found in small numbers during May and Juneo A few smallmouth buffalo, ranging in size from 1% to 3% inches, were seined in July and Augusta These few specimens are the only evidence that has been found which indicate the possibility of a buffalo spawn in Lake Whitneyo The lone Mexican jumper was taken May 23, and was probably released by bait fishermeno Internal examination revealed that it was a female with well developed ovaries0 Other Mexican jumpers have been taken when seining for bait, sometimes as many as 20 or 30 at one timeo Mexican jumpers have also been collected by hook and line while fishing for baitwsize breamo There is no evidence to date that this species can survive the winter temperatures of the lakeu RESULTS OF NETTING COLLECTIONS About 200 gill net sets were made at 15 stationso Table 3 is a tabulation of data from the gill net collectionso The netting sites were so chosen as to be typical of various environmental conditions found in the lakeo A yield of 3,636 fish represents ing 21 species was collected from the netso Gizaard shad accounted for hOuTO percent of the total number caughto Smallmouth buffalo were next in abundance followed by carp, carpsucker, and white crappieo Table A shows pertinent information about each species of fish taken in the gillnetso Table 5 shows the results of the current netting collection listing the perm centage that each species represents as compared with the same information from last segmentis reporto Shad, white bass, and bluegills made the most noticeable increase, while carp, spotted bass, and black crappie showed the greatest decrease in percentage of the total number caughta Some interesting data may be obtained by making a comparison of both percentage by number and percentage by weight columns between the two periods of studyo The buffalo which represented a little less than ll percent by number in the present study was highest in pounds of fish nettedo The buffalo have grown from 8 ounces in June 1953 to about 3 pounds in October 19550 The growth could be easily followed with only a few fish of odd sizes showing in the net catcheso Ripe gonads were found only once or twice in the summer of 1955 and none were found preceding that periodo Carpsuckers just about held their own in numbers and pounds captured as shown by a comparison of the two periods of studyo Carp dropped considerably in percentage by numbers but only slightly in percentage by'weighto Some carp spawned after every rise of the lake level during the warmer months of the yearo There-are certain basins and lowlands that flood each time the lake rises 3 to 5 feet above the tOp of conserves tion pool levels When covered with planted grain or natural vegetation these places are frequented by spawning carp in large numbersa Such concentrations would afford an opportune time for rough fish control work on that specieso Shad have been mentioned as being abundanto Observation of young schooling shad plus small specimens collected with minnow seines indicate that the young are present in the lake throughout most of the yearo But, it is believed that one of the most productive spawning periods comes in midmApril when the surface temperature of the water approaches 65 degreeso Concentrated runs of shad have been observed over the large areas of shallow water around Bear Creek at that time of the yearn The control of shed in the Bear Creek area by the use of chemicals might be very effective about the middle of April each yeara 30 White bass have become more abundant in the lake and composed 3¢38 percent by number of all the fish netted as compared to 0061 percent in the previous surveyo {Kentucky spotted bass have decreased from a former 3q80 percent to the present 0052 percento » Black crappie have likewise become less abundant and accounted for only Oohl percent of the total fish caught during this study as compared with 3028 percent for the previous study. A comparison of the game and rough fish population in Lake Whitney for both periods of study is given in Table 66 It may be of interest to note that the game and rough fish population as represented by numbers netted have remained almost stableo This seems encouraging when one considers that about 8 million more game fish than rough fish have been harvested from the lakeo Game fish have increased from 0030 pound to 0651 pound for a 70 percent increase in the average weight per individual nettedo The results of the stomach analyses is given in Table To The stomach contents were studied without the aid of a microscope and it is possible that many of the items listed as unidentifiable fish remains were shade It is recommended that further study be made on Lake Whitney in order to closely follow the development of the fish population in that impoundment. SUMMARY lo Lake Whitney is a clearmwater lake impounding 153800 surface acres of water at the top of conservation pool levelo 2o The lake was sampled with approximately 200 gill net sets and #2 seine collections from June 13 l95h to October 31; 19550 Nearly 153000 fish were collected andworked to obtain various datao 3o Gizsard shad accounted for 56 percent of the seined fish and 41 percent of the netted fish collectedo to Smallmouth buffalo represented 2&092 percent by weight of all fish netted and exceeded any other one species in total pounds caughto 50 White bass? white crappieg and bluegills have made appreciable gains in numbers of fish in the lake; while shad were the only rough fish which showed any marked increasea on Kentucky spotted bass and black crappie have shown a sharp population decrease in Lake Whitneyo 7; Carp have shown a population decrease, but it may not be a true representation due to the fact that this species does not frequently inhabit the shallow water or top layer of water during the coldacmonths where most of the netting was dance 80 Game fish have increased in weight from 0030 pounds to 0°5l pound for a 70 percent increase for the average individual nettedo 9° Rough fish have increased from 0070 pound to 1wOl pound for a ##029 percent increase for the average fishnettedo 100 The game fish and rough fish populations; as represented by percentage of total fish netted, have remained almost stable, although better than 8 million .more game fish (about 570 per surface acre) than rough fish have been taken from the lakeo ho Table lo Checklist of Fish Species From Lake Whitneyy Texas, 195% w 550 Common Name Scientific Name Golden Shiner lOo Pugnose Minnow llo Sherpnose Shiner l2o Brazos River Shiner 13¢ Pellid Shiner 0 lo Spotted Gar @egieeefieus-zxefiuctus 20 Longnose Ger Legisosteus @éfigfi 3o Gizzerd Shad Dorosome eegedianum fie Mexieen Jumper AEEEenaX_feseiatns_ $0 Smellmonth Buffalo Istiobus behalus 6o River Garesueker 9§EFiEQQ§P9EEEi9M To Grey Bedhorse Moxostoma eongestnmL 8° Carp gyrinQSECer}iow 9 .. 1&0 Blackteil Shiner (Spottail) Noifogismvenn fins 150 Red Shiner (Redhorse) Eptrofie lutrensis l6a Parrot Minnow l?o Fathead Minnow 18° Stoneroller {emEosiom anomalum 190 Southern Channel Catfish Ictelurus Eunetatue 20° Black Bullhead Ameinrus melee ' 21° YellOW'Bullhead AmeiUrns netelis 2201Flethead Catfish Pilodietus olivsris M 230 Bleekstripe Topminnow Fundules notetus , 2&0 Gambusia Gembusianafiflnls 250 White Bass MeronerphELsoye 26o KEntueky Spotted Bass MicroEEennshyunetnletnew“ 27o Lergemouth.Bleek Bess 28c warmouth 295 Green Sunfish 3Oo Redeer Sunfish LeEomis mirrolo . 310 Bluegill Sunfish ”MEEEEEEEEeroehirue 32°.Qrengespotted Sunfish Ledomle_humil1swuwfi 33G Yellowbelly Sunfish Lepomls dJTltu* 3H0 White Crapyie Eonoxie annnleris 350 Bleek Crappie EEEQEis Eigromeenletus R60 Logpereh Eeroine ea. rodes 37° Freshwater Dmum A}lodinotuswfrunnienshm \J‘] Table 20 Reenlte of Seining Collections by Number of anh Species; Lake Whitney, Texas, 195h e 55o Species Number Collected Percent of Total Gieeard Shad 69259 55065 Mexican Jumper l ' OuOl Smallmouth Buffalo 8 0°07 Carp 5 000% Pugnose Minnow 3 0903 Sharpnoee Shiner 78 Oe69 Brazos River Shiner RH 0039 Pallid Shiner 7 0°06 Blaekteil Shiner (Spottail) 76A 6079 5 Red Shiner (Bedhorse) 33l52 28003 Parrot.Minnow 579 5015 Fathead Minnow l 0001 Stoneroller l 0001 Blackstripe Topminnow 2 0002 Gambusia 25 0022 White Bees 15 Ool3 ”entueky Spotted Bees 1% 0°12 Jergemouth Black Bass 58 0052 Warmouth % OoOh Green Sunfish 3 0003 Redear Sunfish 3 0°03 Bluegill 59 0052 Orangespotted 2 0902 Yellowbelly Sunfish 92 0982 Loggereh 68 QQGO mo H,ueen_mn._emeeeeenos ea.eeee,eeee:ewnn=eme.nepweeenoem.aeeee.seneeeeg;meee;wmmwaeeeeeme:emweeee:nmmmy Beadme mmeeendmme mosnmm wewomfidmmm bememmm EmMde Zea ow weer memowmm oesmwe ow flede emsmwe ow flodmw Mn woonmm Wee ZEEUeH fiewmfid H00.W Ewe woemeomm one rm Howe meoem meme mowm Dew meoeeme one we omm wromm Hope one: goo eeeemee meme enema rooeo «emcee mmore are eaee mempoeoede weeemoo wmm Hoome emmoom wromm Home Home meme weaveemm a com Heoww gem moo: Bop waeme omeemSQWQe woo momw weeowm Heamm For: poem omee woe momm mmoomm Hmomo Home Home mogefimee cemeeww ameeeme owe worm HemOEm momp Howe om: emepoe omeeeme H sow woee goo meow memow weHHWQma w ,om Egon now owe eom zenem meme Hmw wowm mmowp mane 9mm Dam emeemeoeee_ewmow meme we more weave mime pace new WmoenoW% mmoeeem wmmm Hm omm Hmowm OmH 0mm GHQ l ameeoeee m “H; 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