TPWD 1958 F-5-R-5 #418: Resurvey of the Waters of Region 3-B: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys

JOB COMPLETION REPORT State of TEXAS Project No. F-5-R-5 Name: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 3-B. Job No. B—22 Title: Resurvey of the waters of Region 3—B. Period Covered: April 16, 1957 through April 152 1958 ABSTRACT: Three lakes were resurveyed. These were Oak Creek Reservoir, San Angelo Reservoir, and Lake Nasworthy. The netting and seining samples indicated that sunfish have become quite abundant in Oak Creek Reservoir; that gizzard shad, carp, and river carpsuckers have continued their trend toward dominance in San Angelo Reservoir; and that Lake Nasworthy‘s fishery population has remained relatively stable. Bulrushes and cattails, however, have become a serious vegetation prdblem in Lake Nasworthy. OBJECTIVES: To determine the present status of waters and fish populations which have been previously surveyed in Project F—5-R. PROCEDURE: Three reservoirs were resurveyed during the segment. These were Oak Creek Reservoir, San Angelo Reservoir, and Lake Nasworthy. Netting collections were made with experimental nylon gill nets, measuring 125 feet in length by 8 feet in depth and made up in five, 25 foot sections. Mesh sizes of these nets increased progressw ively in each following section at one-half inch intervals, beginning with eneminch mesh and terminating with a threewinch mesh section. Seining collections were made with common sense type seines. Gill netted specimen were identified, weighed, measured and examined for stage of sexual development in the field. Seined specimens were preserved in ten percent formalin solution and taken to the laboratory for identification. FINDINGS: Oak Creek Reservoir Netting— Five netting samples were collected from Oak Creek Reservoir during the segment. The results of only five collections can not be considered entirely representative. As they are, however, these results indicate that bluegill sunfish have become the most abundant fish in the lake by a wide majority. The percent by number for this species jumped from 20.89 percent taken_from the 1953 through 1956 segments to 66.0H percent taken in the five netting collections for this segment. The average size of these fish is very small (2 025.). Due to the extreme scarcity species in Oak Creek Reservoir. It may let compiled during the initial survey. San Angelo Reservoir are collected during the course of the resurvey. ‘ rough fish and diminishing numbers of_game ey of this lake seems to continue. Shad have gh the percentage by weight of this species rs have gained in dominance and are considered increased considerably in number althou has declined. Carp and river carpsucke the main fishery problems in this lake. frequently fished for. White bass are the only game fish that have increased in relative abundance according to netting samples. This species is providing a great deal of fishing pleasure for people of the area. Channel catfish make up a smaller percentage by number in the netting samples for the resurvey than they did in the original survey. They are still ardently fished for, however, and some excpetionally large fish of this species (ll and l2 pounds) have been reported recently. The average size of channel catfish in the netting sample was 3 lbs. 2 oz. Largemouth bass have a desirable size when caught. was 4 lbs. 9 one. pparently decreased in number but are usually of a very The average weight of this species in the netting sample The pertinent data for the netting collections is given in Table 2. Seining— Four seining collections were made during the resurvey. species were taken. bass were increasing No new The seining samples indicated, as did the netting, that white rapidly in number and that largemouth bass apparently were bem coming less plentiful. Lake Nasworthy Nettins— The ten netting samples collected from Lake Nasworthy indicated that ______g the fish population in the lake has remained substantially the same as it was in the initial survey even though the lake has filled up since that initial survey when the water level was extremely low. The trend toward dominance by gizsard shad and river carpsuckers has increased slightly. Carp have shown a slight increase in percentage by number also. River carpsuckers and carp together compose over 36 percent by number and 57 percent by weight of the netting sample. All species of rough fish considered together compose over 83 percent by number and 77 percent by weight of the netting collections. dominant game species according to the netting samples. yellow catfish provide the greatest fishing attraction in the lake. consistently produced good catches of this species for many years. This lake has White bass and crappie were not quite as abundant as in the initial survey. Most of the fish sampled by netting and also caught by fishermen are relatively small. Table 3 gives pertinent data for all species collected by netting. Seining- Five seining collections were taken from Lake Nasworth . Yellow bull- heads were collected by seining from this lake for the first time. However, it is possible that this species has been present in the lake in very limited numbers for some time. Predation on this species by yellow catfish, which have always been fairly abundant in Lake Nasworthy, is a possible reason for the scarcity of bullm heads. Besides minnows and sunfish, the majority of the fish collected by seining were rough species. Vegetation- Bulrushes (Scirpus sp.) and cattails (Typha latifolia) have increased considerably in Lake Nasworthy. In fact, much of the lake area is inaccessible be» cause of dense vegetation. The area covered by these plant species has been estimated to exceed 350 acres and is apparently steadily increasing. RECOMMENDETIONS: It is recommended that: l. All three lakes be rechecked again during the next segment in order to as“ certain if any trends now in progress continue or if any new developments in the fisheries' status occur. 2. Control measures be taken to eliminate the heavy stands of bulrushes and cattails in Lake Nasworthy. _ - \ é7rammi Approved by v///5¢1¢’{§§:/ Prepared by lawmence Campbell Direct r Inland Fisheries Division Project Leader Date January 26, 1959 Table 1. Results of Five Gill Netting Collections Taken from from April 16, 1957 to April 15, 1958. _111_____1__________1____11___1__11_________1_____11_____l___1_______1_________ll Species No. Percent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Percent Avg. . by No. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. by Wt. ”K" .11_____.__1____11___________________________________1______11___11__11_1__._.__m_ River carpsucker 16 15.08 16 l 36.31 2 29 Carp l .94 4 5 4 5 9.79 2.42 Channel catfish 2 1.89 9' l4 4 15 22.41 2 05 White bass 2 1.89 l 8 2 27 2.46 largemouth bass 4 3.78 2 12 11 a 24 2.08 Bluegill 70 66.04 8 l2 2 19.86 4.44 White crappie 11 10.38 1 6 2 3.12 2.10 TOTAL 105 l00.00 EH 1 100.00 “re—MMM 5 “le 2. Results of Eleven Gill Netting Collections Taken from San Angelo Reservoir from April 16, 1957 to April 15, 1958. _______n______i__________1___1_ai_______1__________________11_.___11_i_.1”, Species No. Percent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Percent Average _ by No. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. b Wt. ”'“ Gizzard shad 252 I 48.83 47 4 n 3 5.29 1.75 River carpsucker 127 24.62 293 ll 2 5 32.88 2.43 Carp 63 12.20 378 6 42.32 2.58 Channel catfiSh 12 2.32 37 8 3 2 4.20 2.12 White bass 33 6.39 94 14 2 14 10.62 3.32 Largemouth bass 8 1.56 36 8 4 9 4.09 2.96 White crappie 19 3.69 3 9 3 .40 2.97 Freshwater drum 2 .39 l 12 14 .20 2.31 1 100.00 93 2 100.00 TOTAL 5 Results of Ten Gill Netting Collections Tak April 18, 1957 to April 15} 1958. Species No. Percent Total Wt. AVg. Wt. Percent Ava. by No. lbs. ozs. lbs. ozs. b Wt. ”K" _1____11___1_________1_1__111_1_______1___11_____________11._____1___ii11__111_1___ Gizzard shad 319 44.37 59 13 3 7.96 1.70 Longnose gar 23 3.20 94 14 4 2 12.62 56 River carpsucker 205 28.51 269 10 1 5 35.87 2 48 Carp ' 54 7.51 162 3 21.55 2.40 Channel catfish 84 11.68 120 12 l 7 16.07 1.98 Yellow catfish 4 .56 22 5 8 2.93 2 28 White bass 16 2.23 15 15 2.00 2.35 Bluegill l .14 4 4 .03 4 62 Largemouth bass .- l .14 2 6 2 ’ .32 2 75 White crappie 6 .83 l 8 4 20 2.88 Freshwater drum 6 .83 3 6 9 45 2 25 WWW—m rarer. 719 100 00 751 ' '* .