TPWD 1969 F-4-R-16 #1262: Region 2-A Fisheries Study: Job No. 3-37 Fishery Management Recommendations

JOB PROGRESS REPORT As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No. Fw4-Rwlé REGION Z-A FISHERIES STUDY Job No. 3-37: Fishery Management Recommendations Project Leader: Charles T. Menn J. R. Singleton Executive Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene A. Walker D-J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services February ll9 1970 SEMMARY During this segment, 15 major public lakes in North Central Texas were checked on a quarterly basis. From 5 to 15 netting collections were made on each lake. Length and weight data were recorded for the specimens taken in the netting collections, and notes were made on these specimens taken in the seining collections. Notes were made on aquatic vegetation. Game fish species comprised 50% or more of the total number of fish taken in 9 lakes. But, by weight, rough fish species were dominant in 13 of the 15 lakes. In 5 lakes, rough fish species comprised more than 80% of the total weight of all fish taken. Some consideration should be given to controlling the rough fish in those lakes. Aquatic vegetation control work should be done at Lake Weatherford to prevent the spread of noxious vegetation. More good fishing areas will become inaccessible if the vegetation is not controlled. This job should be continued so that we may be able to keep abreast of changes in the fish populations. This information will be valuable in managing the fishery resources.of this area. Job Progress Report State of , Texas Project No.mnh£:§fR316Tw_fl= Name: Region_2fA Fisheries Studies Job No.pflwfimfl B~37 . Title: Fishery Management Recommendations Period Covered: Januar_wl,_1969wto_December 31.nl969 Background: The first group of major public lakes in this region, 15 in all, were checked quarterly during the preceding segment. The second group of major lakes were checked quarterly during this segment. Thus, all of the major public lakes in Region 2wA have been checked at least four times during the past two years. Even though these data are limited, they should be useful in making stocking recommenm dations, population control recommendations, and recommendations pertaining to the need for a contract fisherman. Objectives: To determine the need for changes in fish harvest regulations, stocking, pOpulation control, vegetation control, and contract fishing in Region 2wA waters. Procedures: Proposed fishing regulations for the Possum Kingdom Regulatory Area were discussed at a Game Management OfficereBiologist meeting prior to being presented at public hearings in each county under Regulatory power, The fishing laws were then presented to the Commissioners of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The regulations which set seasons, bag and possession limits, and means and methods of harvest, were based upon results and findings of surveys and werk done in this region. Fifteen major public lakes in the regicn were divided into 3 groups: less than 5,000 acres, 5,000 to 10,000 acres, and more than 10,000 acres, From 5 to 15 nets, based on the size of the lake, were set overnight in each lake during each quarter. Experimental gill nets, 150 feet long with varying mesh sizes from 1 to 3% inches, and a 20wfoot seine were used to make the fish collections. The game fish Species were weighed and measured individually, A representative sample of rough fish species were weighed and measured and the remainder of rough fish were counted and bulk weighed. m 2 a Seining collections were made and the number of game fish and the forage fish species taken was recorded. Stocking recommendations were based on seining collection data. Gill netting data were used in considering whether or not a contract fisher— man might be beneficial to a lake. Notes were made on the types of aquatic vegetation present and whether or not it interfered with access or fishability of an area. Table l is a checklist of all fish-taken in the netting and seining collec~ tions during the segment. Only common names are used in the report. Findings: GarzaeLittle Elm Reservoir Gill Netting: Rough fish species-(spotted and longnose gar, threadfin and gizzard shad, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, carp and freshwater drum) comprised 66.86 percent of the total number and 84.03 percent of the total weight of all fish taken in the 59 netting collections made on this Denton County lake in 1969. One net was stolen; thus only 59 collections were made. Smallmouth buffalo and river carpsucker were the most frequently taken rough fish species, as they comprised 52.31 percent of the total number and 70.09 percent of the total weight of all fish taken in the netting collections (Table 2). Eight species of game fish were taken in the collections. White bass and white crappie comprised 27.37 percent of the total number and 13.79 percent of the total weight of all fish taken during the year. The white bass weighed an average of threewquarters of a pound. The ”K” factors of all game fish Species revealed the fish to be in good condition. ' Seining Collections: Nine seining collections were made in conjunction with the netting trips. Each collection consisted of from three to 10 hauls, and each haul was from 20 to 40 feet in length. Threadfin shad were taken in large numbers in the June and December col~ lections. Only a few of them were taken in the September collections. In one haul in December, 178 specimens were counted, -Gizzard shad were also found in good numbers. Brook silversides were common in nearly all the collections. Several largemouth bass and white crappie fry were picked up in late June, and larger bass, from 2» to 5-inches in length, were found in the September collections. Red and blacktail shiners, fathead minnows, golden shiners, bluew gill, longear sunfish, logperch, mosquitofish, and one river carpsucker were taken in the seining collections during the year. Vegetation: Aquatic vegetation is not a problem in this lake. Several patches of pondweed, Potamogeton, were seen, but it is not considered to be a problem. 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Gray redhorse. Moxostoma congestum Spotted sucker Minytrema melanogs Carp - ‘ Cyprinus carpio Golden Shiner .Notemigonus crysoleucas Blacktail shiner Notropis venustus Red shiner E, lutrensis Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas Channel catfish IctaluruS'punctatus Blue catfish 1;. furcatus Black bullhead l, melas ' Yellow bullhead ,g. natalis Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris Blackstripe tOpminnow Fundulus notatus Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Brook silverside ' . - Labidesthes sicculus White bass Reecus Chrysops Spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus Largemouth bass . £1. salmoides Warmouth - Chaenobryttus gulosus Green sunfish Lepomis cyaneljus Redear sunfish L,_microlophus Bluegill L, macrochirus Orangespotted sunfish L, humilis Redbreast sunfish L, auritus Longest-sunfish L, megalotis White crappie‘ _Pomoxis annularis Logperch . Percina cagrodes Freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens (I, ; I: Eagle Mountain Lake Gill Netting: The netting results are summarized in Table 3. In all, 990 fish of 18 Species were taken in the 40 netting collections made on this Tarrant County lake in 1969. Smallmouth buffalo and river carpsucker, in that order, ranked first and second in total number and total weight of all fish taken during the year. To» gether, they comprised 52.43 percent of the total number and 77.88 percent of the total weight of all fish taken in the netting collections. White crappie and white bass, in that order, were the most frequently taken game fish species. They comprised 19.30 percent of the total number and 5.15 perm cent of the total weight. Largemouth bass comprised less than 5 percent of the total number of fish taken in the nets and slightly more than 2 percent of the total weight. All game fish species were considered to be in good condition, as shown by their-”K” factors. Seining Collections: Brook silversides, red_shiners, and blacktail shiners were the most frequently taken fish in the-seining collections. Several small (1* to 3minches) largemouth bass were taken in the July collections, and several larger {up to 8 inches) bass were taken in the October collections. Fathead minnows, threadfin and gizzard shad, bluegill, and logperch were also taken in the collections, but they were less common. Vegetation: Aquatic vegetation is not a problem in this lake. However, it should be noted that there are approximately 200 acres of common cattails, 300 acres of bulrushes, 20 acres of American lotus, and 25 acres of pondweeds, in the lake at this time. égke Arrowheag Gill Netting; Rough fish species (shortnose, spotted and longnose gar, gizzard shad, bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, carp, and freshwater drum) comprised 53.33 percent of the total number and 79.18 percent of the total weight of all fish taken in this lake which is in Archer and Clay Counties. Carp were the most frequently taken rough fish species; they comprised 32.82 percent of the total number, and 29.84 percent of the total weight (Table 4}. White crappie were the most frequently taken game fish Species. in all, 65 specimens were taken in the netting collections. It seems that white crappie are well established in this turbid lake. Even though only 4 channel catfish were taken in the netting collections, several fishermen reported that they had taken many catfish. Seining Collections: Gizzard shad were the most abundant fish taken in the seining collections. Red shiners were the second most frequently taken fish. Other species, such as golden shiners, mosquitofish, bluegill, and longear sunfish were taken less frequently. 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From 50 to 75 shrimp were taken in each haul. Vegetatiog: In general, aquatic vegetation is not a problem in this very turbid lake. But some algae was seen along the east side of the lake. Lake Granbury Gill Netting: Only three quarterly checks were made on this newly built lake in Hood County. The dam was completed in the summer of 1969, and the flood gates were closed in September, 1969. The first check was made in May, the second one in August, and the third one in November. The first quarterly check was not made since there was not enough water in the lake. Shortly after the gates were closed, however, heavy rains on the watershed filled it rapidly. In all, 25 experimental gill nets were set in the lake. All told, 385 fish of 17 species were taken. Rough fish Species (spotted and longnose gar, gizzard shad, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, carp, golden shiners, and freshwater drum) comprised 77.41 percent of the total number and 91.59 percent of the total weight of all fish taken (see Table 5). Longnose gar, smallmouth buffalo, gizzard shad, and river carpsucker, in that order, were the most frequently taken rough fish species. Channel catfish and white crappie comprised nearly 15 percent of the total number of fish taken in the netting collections. Seining Collections: Blacktail and red shiners were the most frequently taken fish in the seining collections. Brook silversides were also common. A few gizzard shad and mosquitofish were also taken. No game fish Species were taken in the seining collections. Vegetation: Aquatic vegetation is not a problem in this lake at this time. Hubbard Creek lake Gill Netting: Game fish Species (channel and blue catfish, black bullhead, yellow bullhead, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, warmouth, green sunfish, redear sunfish, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, longear sunfish and white crappie) comprised more than 51 percent of the total number of fish taken in the netting collections, but only 30.52 percent of the total weight (Table 63. Bluegill, white crappie, largemouth bass, and channel catfish, in that order, were the most free quently taken game fish Species in this Stephens County lake. The average weight of the largemouth bass was nearly two pounds, and the average weight of the white crappie was slightly more than onewhalf pound. The largest bass weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces; several more of them weighed in excess of 5 pounds. Hubbard Creek con- sistently produced large numbers of big bass during the late winter, spring, and summer of 1969. For that reason this lake is considered by many anglers to be one of the best bass lakes in the state. Also, it has a sizable catfish population, both channel and blue catfish. The smallest blue catfish weighed 260 grams (9 ounces), and the largest one weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces.