TPWD 1961 F-5-R-8 #696: Inventory of Species Present in Lake Leon near Eastland, Texas: Job Completion Report, Project F-5-R-8, Job B-29

IQ';‘.; ‘ Report of Fisheries Investigations {Inventory of Species Present in Lake Leon near Eastland, Texas by James Fs‘Wilcox“ Assistant Project Leader Dingell-thnson Project F-5QR-8, Job B-29 April 1, 1960- February 28,1961 H. D. Dodgen - Executive Secretary Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Taxas Marion Tools Kanneth.c. Jhrgens & William H Brown Coordinator Assistant Cobrdinators A.B S T R A.C T Twenty-one species representing 13 genera and seven families of fish were collected from Lake Leon.‘ Excessive numbers of forage species and large populations of smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus, and river carpsuckers, Carpiodes carpio, were found to be the Ehief fishery prOblems. The smallmouth buffalo are considered to be less detrimental in Lake Leon, however, than many other rough fish species would be because of their utilization by the local fishermen for food as well as for sport. Largemouth bass,-Micr09terus salmoides, were found to still occur in Lake Leon in significant numbers but fewer bass are reportedly caught by anglers now than in past years. This can prdbably be attributed to the development of excessive forage. The percentage of rough and/or forage fish occurring in the netting sample (51.18%), while high, dose not indicate that selective or total fish eradication treatment could be-Justified at this time. The possibility of protecting the present flathead catfish, Eylodictus olivaris, population by means of temporary regulations prohibiting the use of trotlines for taking them has been discussed and is being con— sidered by the Eastland County water Board, who own and control the lake. Job Completion Report State of ,. TEXAS Project No. F-S-Rw8 Name: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys '. of the waters of Region 3nB. Job No. B-29 Title: Inventory of Species Present in Lake ’ - Leon near Eastland Texas. .______________.__4n________________. Period covered: , April 12 1960 - February.28, 1961 OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative abundance as well as to determine the ecological factors influencing their distribution. PROCEDURE A total of #8 netting collections was obtained from Lake Leon during the snrvey period. All nets used were experimental type nylon gill nets, measuring 125 feet in length and eight feet in depth. They were made up in five, 25 foot long sections with mesh sizes varying from one—inch square mesh to threeminch square mesh, increasing in half-inch intervals in each succeeding section. Sixteen stations were employed in the setting of these #8 nets. Each station had one net set at it for one night during the months of may, July and November of 1960. All fish taken from the nets were weighed, measured, and their sex and condition determined. Individuals of some species were examined for stomach contents and for parasites. ‘ Heep and/er fyke nets were not employed for collection purposes as the collections being obtained from gill nets were apparently adequate and because there was insufficient time available for the effective use of these other types of collecting devices. Seining collections were obtained at three locations during the may and July trips to the lake. Each collection consisted of several seine drags with either a 12 or 20 foot %~inch mesh nylon straight seine. The fish collected in seines were counted by species and a sample of each species was preserved for further study in the laboratory. In addition to netting and seining, records were made during each trip of the surface water temperature, the pH, and the turbidity. Notations concerning the description and general ecological conditions of the lake and surronnding terrain more also recorded. Further hydrological and water analysis information see Obtained from the Eastland County water Board and the Texas State Department of Health. FINDINGS -2- Location and Physical Conditions Lake Leon is located on the Leon River, between the towns of Eastland and Ranger and approximately six miles south of highway 80. Three small impoundments, Lake Olden, Old Eastland Lake and Ringland Lake, are on the Leon River watershed above Lake Leon (Figure 1). The contributing watershed covers 259 square miles. At spillway level the lake covers 1600 surface acres and contains 28,000 acre feet of water. The dam was completed in 1955 under the direction of the Eastland County Water Board with the firm of Freeze and Nichols serving as engineers. The main dam is 87 feet high, 1,500 feet long, of earthen construction and riprapped with large rock approximately 1- to 3—feet in diameter. The deepest place in the lake at spillway elevation is 67 feet. The bottom is varied, with bed rock, riprap, mud and silt being the main components. Limestone cliffs are prevalent in the upper reaches of the lake along the river bed. Turbidity values ranged between 31 and #7 inches as observed by means of a Secchi disk. The recorded pH values ranged between 7.1 and 8.1. Recorded water temperatures ranged between #6 degrees and 79 degrees F. The lake level dropped during the project period frOm an clemation of l37h.8 in April to 1372.5 in November. The highest water elevation was 1375.3 in May. At this level the lake contains 25,000 acre—feet of water. More complete hydrological information is given in Tables 1 and 2. Vegetation Mesquites, button willows, post oaks, hackbernies, elms, pecans and cottonwoods are abundant along the shore line. The upper two-thirds of the lake are littered with dead trees of these species that were left standing when the dam was closed (Figures 2 and 3). There are also a few large, dead, fruit trees in the lake, the remnants of former orchards. Native grasses are abundant along the shores. Besides various types of algae, muskgrass,gChara,_pondweed, Potamggeton, and cattails, Typha, are principal genera of aquatic vetetation present. None of these species presently constitutes a problem, however, the dead trees that congest the upper end of the lake are thick enough to make access difficult to some areas of the lake. History and Administration lake Leon is owned and operated by the Eastland County water Board. It was conm structed in 1955 for use as a municipal water supply for the towns of Ranger and Eastland, Texas. A water treatnent plant and pumping station is located near the lake. as plated. This light silt load can probably be attributed to the three small lakes above Lake Leon which tend to serve as settling basins. Excellent catches of largemouth bass, whitd crappie, and channel catfish were made the first few years after the lake was opened to public fishing. In the spring of 1959 the fishing was not as good as it had been previously and the Eastland County water Board made an official request for the Texas Game and Fish Commission to make a survey and inventory of species present. This investigation indicates that the water skiers use the lower end of the lake where there are no trees during all but the colder months of the year. The upper reaches of the lake are not as accessible to the skiers due to the innundated trees, therefore fishermen utilize this area. dam while the other end was stretched perpendicular to the dam, out into the open water. The water depth was 6-feet at the dam and became increasingly deeper so that the extended and of the not was in 32+feet bf water. The bottom was covered with the dam's course rock riprap. - Station 2: This station was-approximately 200 yards wést of Station 1, at the entrance to a small slough. One end of the ne_ ' ‘ other end was anchored in open water. to 25-foot deep. The bottom was composed of large limestone roc The gradually sloping beach was covered with native grasses and rubble. The bottom, below the not, was rubble, sand and silt. Numerous oak stumpsoprotruded from the water. One end of the not was stretched parallel with the shoreline feet deep at both ends of the net and the bottom was sandy. There were small patches of pondweed growing in the water near the shore. Station 6: This station was about one—third of the way up the lake from the dam. One end of the net was tied to a boat dock in 5—foot water. The other end was anchored in Open water 13—foot deep. The shallow sloping shore was covered with 4,- Russian thistle and native grasses. The bottom was silt. Station 7: This area was over the site on an old lake whiCh*had been in existence before the construction of Lake Leon. The old earthen dam still protruded from the water. One and 0f the net was tied in a willow grove on the old dam and the other end was anchored straight out from the dam in hefeet of water. The bottom was deep silt. Pondweeds were abundant and there was scattered patches of cattails in the area. Station 8: This station was-at the end of a dirt road that entered the water. One end of the not was tied to a partly innundated oak tree located 75-yards from the shore. The other end was anchored in 12-feet of water. The not was stretched over the old road bed and was parallel to the shoreline. The bottom was hard packed clay and caliche. There were numerous oaks and elms nearby. Station 9.- This station was hOO-yards out in the lake frdm Station 8 and was over the same road bed. One end of the not was tied to a large, dead pecan tree and the other end was tied to a large, dead cottonwood tree. The water was 30-foot deep but the not was left floating. Station 10: This Station was directly across the lake from Station 8 and on the south shore. ' The not was tied to a barbed—wire fence at one end in three feet of water and was anchored out into the lake at the other end in 10 feet of water. There as“tiers numerous green button willows along the fence line. The bottom was once cultiw - vated land and was composed of mud and silt. ' Station 11: The net set at this station was.tied to an innundated oak tree located 50 feet from the south shore cf the lake. The water was 10 feet deep. Green willow trees and native grasses were abundant along the shore. The bottom was mud and silt. Station 12: This station was also at the end of a road that entered the water. One end of the net was-tied 30 feet from shore to a fence post which was adjacent to a large pear tree.- The other end was anchored on the road. The water was hmfeet deep. There were willow trees, cattails, and pondweed growing along the shoreline. Station 13: This station was near a farm road bridge which crosses the lake. One of the nets was attached to a dead pear tree in the lake approximately 50 feet from shore. The other end was stretched parallelmto the farm road and anchored. The bottom was rocky as the bar ditch and sides of the farm road were riprapped on each end of the bridge. The water ranged in depth from he to Bwfeet. Station 1%: This location was across the farm road bridge in the extreme upper end of the lake. One end of the not was tied to a dead hackberry tree 75 feet from shore and the other end was stretched out perpendicularly from the shore and anch.ored in the river channel. The depth at the tree was h- feet and at the other end of the net the depth was 16 feet. Large dead trees protruded from the waterrover this entire area. The bottom was mud and silt. --~ Station 15: This station was in the river channel in the upper end of the lake. One end of the not was tied to a pecan tree and the other end was tied to a cottonwood tree which had previously grown along the edge of the river. The water was loafeet deep and the bottom was covered with silt. Thick groves of dead inundated trees surrounded the station. ".5... Station 16: This was the station furtherest up the lake. One end of the not was tied to an electric pole and the other end was anchored. The water was 6~feet deep. The bottom was formerly cultivated land and was muddy. Seining There were only three small areas in Lake Leon where seining was possible. These were all located over dirt roads entering the water. These roads are also popular boat launching areas. Their frequent use in this capacity tended to impair the effectiveness of these areas for seining. This factor, plus the clearness of the water, the particular water temperatures at the times seining was done, and the limited space in_the areas available for seining account for the poor results ohm tained by this sampling method. Only 6h specimens, representing 10 species, were collected by use of seines in Lake Leon. Description of Seining Stations mately 20 feet from shore. Station 2: The end of a dirt road entering the water by a former fruit orchard. A large pear tree was nearest the road. The remains of a barbed wire fence were near the orchard. There were willow trees, cattails and pondweed growing along the shores line. The bottom was firm and had a gently sloping gradient with water too deep for seining approximately 60 feet from shore. Station 3: This station was also at the end of a dirt road that entered the water in a large slough. Dead mesquite trees were numerous on each side of the road. The bottom was firm and had a gently sloping gradient with water too deep to seine approxim mately 50 feet from shore. Annotated Species List Lepisosteidae (gars) Lepisosteidae productus (spotted gar): Only a few'small individuals were cape tured. These fish appear to primarily confine themselves to the npper reaches of the lake in the river channel. 1? osseus {longnose gar): Only a few specimens were collected. Their average size was large enough for them to serve as predators but there is apparently not enough gar in the lake to be effective in controlling the forage populations. Clupeidae {herrings} Dorosoma cepedianum (gizzard shad): This specie: has not thus far become domiw nant in Lake Leon as it has in many other reservoirs. However, netting samples ins dicate that these fish are abundant composing 9.66 percent of the total number of fish netted. Most shad captured were stili small enough to be used by game fishes far forage. According to the lake patrolman it was not possible to observe as many shed in the clear shallow waters during the survey period as it had been in previous -5... years. From this observation and considering the relatively small size of nearly all shad captured it is possible that natural control or dienoff of shad occurred prior to the inventory. Catostomidae (suckers and buffalofishes) Ictiobus bubalus (smallmouth buffalo): Lake Leon contains an exceptionally large number of-these fish. They constituted-23.50 percent of the netting sample. The reason for their abundance in this lake when in many other west Texas lakes they are not nearly so plentiful can possibly be attributed to the large number of trees innundated in the upper two-thirds of the lake. Lake Fort Phantom Hill has a great many trees in the upper end and it too has a high percentage of smallmouth buffalo. These are the only two lakes in this area, to the authoris knowledge, that support these populations. Whether the simultaneous existence of innundated trees and smallmouth buffalo is merely a coincidence or whether the trees help support this species by increased area for growth of food and/or the provision of additional spanning areas cannot be concluded from the scanty knowledge of this species life history that is recorded in the literature. Dalquest, in an unpublished report to the Texas Game and Fish Commission; states that the diet of this species consists mostly of animal life.1 The large area of innundated forest and the debris created by it no doubt supports a high population of small animal organisms in Lake Leon. Carpiodes carpio (river carpsucker): This problem species has become firmly established in Lake Leon composing 10.7h percent of the netting sample by number and 20.65 percent-by weight. - ' Cyprinidae (shiners and minnows) Cyprinus carpio (carp): This species was fairly evenly distributed in the shale loner netting areas but was not abundant in any collection. More were taken at Station 7, an old silted-in lake bed, than at any other station. Some anglers fish for carp at Lake Leon with reportedly fair success. Due to this fact and their relatively low occurrence in the netting sample {n.01'percent by number) they are not presently considered to be detrimental in this lake. Notropis venustus (spottail Shiner): These shiners may be more abundant than the seining sample indicated. Schools of either these or redhorse shiners were observed swimming in clear water but could not be captured. Notropis lutrensis (redhorse Shiner): These are probably the most common shiners in Lake Leon. Pimephales vigilax (parrot minnow): Only one large individual of this species was captured. Ameiuridae (freshwater catfishes) Ictalurus punctatus (channel catfish): The netting collections indicated a large population of channel catfish occur in Lake Leon, representing 20.40 percent of the total catch. The lake is usually laced with trotlines in the upper end and some good catches of channel catfish are often reported. The average size collected by netting was only 7.7l ounces. l Dalquest, Halter W.; 1960. Natural history of four species of rough fishes in Lake Diversion. Second annual report to Texas Game and Fish Commission. 2 pages. lo melee (blach bnllhead}: A few small specimens were collected in the upper *nd of the lakeo These fish apparently do not constitute a major problem at this E3 atalis (yellow bullhead): One yellow bullhead was collectedo This species c mmon as the black bullheads in most area lakesg as olivaris (flathead catfish): Only tee small specimens of this desirable species were capturedo Anglers occasionally take them on trotlineso Some individuals ‘seighing over 20 pounds have been reported caught in this mannero This species new? by predationfi serve as a partial control on overpopulations of bullheads and small game specieso Poeciliidae (mosquitofishes) Qanbnsia affinis (mosquitofish); A fee specimens were collected by seining and many more were observed in the shallow back water areas of the sloughsa Sentrarchidae (black basses and snnfishes) Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass): Considering the fact that this species is often not easily captured by netting, Lake Leon appears to have a relatively good population of this specieso They composed h07h percent by number of the netting sampletfi Lake catches of this species have.been made in the past. Becen ly these fish have been more difficult to catch“ ibis-can probably be explained, in part} by the abandance of forage species which has developed due to the overpopulation of small sunfishg crappie, and shade The average size of largemonth bass caught in nets was l.ponnd lGob ounces. This species is prebably still reprodncing in Lake Leona fibers are large areas of good spanning habitat and several small base were collected by seiningo However; this is not conclusive evidence-of their reproduction as the State Fish Hatcheries freqnently stock this specieso Lenomis cyanellns (green sunfish): A fan'small green sunfish were collected by seiningo None were captured in nets“ ‘Lo microlophns {redear sunfish): Only one fish, weighing five ounces, was netted and none were taken by seiningo During the first few years of the lake's existence strings of large redear were reported caught by anglersa These fish ears stocked in the lake, when it was nary by the State Fish Hatcheries and may have also been native to the streamo They have apparently lost their place in Lake Leon to other members of the Centrarchid family during the last fen'yearso' in pacrochirns {bluegill}: This is probably the dominant sunfish in Lake Leon} a it is in most other waters of the erase Relatively significant nnmbers ears capm need both by netting and seiningo The average size.sas only 1922 ounceso San ish of this size are not large enough to be-desirable to anglers for food or sport and? since they add to the already over abundant supply of forage fish enisting in the lake; they are also not desirable to anglers from the standpoint that they make the larger fish harder to catch. IJLG humilis (orangespotted sunfish): Two of these small, relatively unimportant snnfish were Obtained by seiningo _ £3 megalotis (longear sunfish): This is probably the second most abundant sun» fish in Lake Leona Thesd'were in both the netting and seining sampleso ‘Most of the longears in Lake Leon appear to be stunted as no individuals large enough to heap by fishermen were captured bet some fish only three inches in total length aere found o contain ovaries fall of ripe eggso Pomoxig annularis (white crappie): Many shite crappie were canght in the nets er!- -8- but due to the limited and inadequate seining areas available none were taken by seining.' Most of the white crappie captured in nets were too small for angler value, but a few individuals of desirable size were obtained. Most of these small fish were no doubt stunted as many of them were sexually mature. The average weight of individuals of this species was 3.3h ounces. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Lake Leon appears to be following the general trend of most West Texas lakes as they grow older. Rough and forage fish are becoming more numerous each year and large~ mouth bass are becoming less numerous and harder to catch because of the crowded con» ditions. A high percentage(27.5 percent) of the total fish populations, as indicated by netting, are composed of smallmouth buffalo and carp. This is a more desirable situation than it would be if most of the rough fish were shad and suckers because buffalo and carp are sometimes caught by anglers and often used for food whereas shed and suckers are hardly ever caught and seldom eaten. Since the shad population was not found to be extremely excessive and since there are still some good catches of bass and catfish taken from the lake, a selective con= trol treatment for shad or a complete eradication of fish species and consequent re» stocking program is not practical or justifiable at this time. Nearly the only effort that could be considered would be an-attenpt to increase the population of flathead catfish occuring in Lake Leon so that more predation of forage fish might result. Moving flathead catfish from other lakes is not economically feasible and probably would not be permissible. A restriction on taking flatheads by means of trotlines could be enacted by the Eastland County water Board to protect the existing numbers. However, trotlines should not be prohibited since channel catfish taken by this means constitute a large percentage of the anglersI catch. Enforcement by the lake patrol- man would be difficult if channel catfish could be trotlined and flathead catfish could not. Two nearby lakes that do not allow trotlining at all.have large populations of flathead catfish. This fact cannot be interpreted to mean that if Lake Leon allowed no trotlining it too would have a large population because there are many other variables and factors which are different between the three lakes. However, as a short term experiment, for possibly two or three years, a restriction on taking flatheads by _trotline could be attempted and netting surveys could be conducted at the end of this period to determine the practicality; of the restrictions. The present lake patrol" man is willing to attempt enforcement of this restriction. This possibility was suggested to the Eastland County water Board for their cone sideration. Any decision to enact such a restriction would be their responsibility. Prepared by James F. Wilcox Approved by 2% 2m JM’é Assistant Project Leader Dire tor Inland Fisheries Division Date July 21, 1261