TPWD 1954 F-4-R-1 #47: Creel Census of Lake Whitney, Texas: Segment Completion Report, Project No. F-E-R-1, Job B-o

--- Page 1 --- STATE Texas PROJECT NO. F-E-R-1, Job B-o PERIOD June 4, 1953 - May 31, L33 Segment Completion Report by Leonard D. Lamb Project Leader Robert N. Hambric Assistant Project Leader TITLE Creel Census of Lake Whitney, Texas. OBJECTIVES To estimate the total catch by species and to obtain data regarding the growth rate and relative abundance of each species in the catch INTRODUCTION More people are enjoying the sport of fishing today than has ever been known before. Many of the anglers are concentrating their efforts on the large artificial impoundments of the Southwest. Good management of the lakes is somewhat dependent upon valid records of their production. At present there is insufficient data re- garding the crops of harvestable fish that ere being produced. A creel census pro- ject was begun on Lake Whitney in order to obtain such information. Lake Whitney is located on the Brazos River in Hill and Bosque Counties, Texas. The Whitney Dam and Reservoir was constructed and is operated by the Corps of Army Engineers as a multiple purpose project for the control of floods, the development of hydroelectric power and for recreational purposes and other uses. Construction of the dam was started May 12, 1947. Constructure of the clos- ure section was begun in May 1950 and completed in December of that year. During that period about 590 surface acres of water were impounded. The gates of the dam were closed December 10, 1951 which permitted the power pool to commence filling. By June 1952 the lake was approximately half-filled with water about YO ft. deep near the dam. Several thousand acre feet of water were discharged from the lake in the fall of 1952 which concentrated the fish in the flooded river channel and the basin near the dam. The fishing public was somewhat alarmed about the large harvest of small bass during the period of comparatively low water. There was considerable agitation at that time to have the lake closed to fishing for one year. But the advice of fish- eries biologists was followed and fishing remained legal. By allowing the surplus bass to be caught, probable stunting and outbreaks of paracitism were prevented. ‘The latter productivity of the impoundment indicates that no harm was done by leaving it open to heavy fishing pressure. The reservoir refilled to approximately one-half of its capacity by June 1953. Progressive rises expanded the lake area until the normal capacity of 15,800 surface acres was attained in May 195k, --- Page 2 --- Le) mo Lake Whitney is a clear water lake about 37 miles long with a shoreline of approximately 190 miles at normal lake level (520 feet above sea level.) The max- imum depth is 95 feet. About one-third of the lake area is 20-45 feet deep and one-third is only 10 feet deep or less. The shoreline is irregular and extends far up many of the drainage tributaries in which most of the original timber still stands. There are a number of protected areas that anglers can fish when strong winds form rough water on the main body of the lake. CREEL CENSUS METHODS This paper reports the results of a 10 months creel census beginning in August of 1953 and ending in May 1954. Approximately six days per month were used in work- ing four of the largest fishing camps on the lake. One census clerk was left at each of the four camps to record data from all fishermen using that camp. Information tak- en included the number @ each species caught, their standard lengths, total hours fished, type of fishing and the kind of baits used. The weights of each species were determined by weight - length data obtained from a netting operation worked on the lake during the same period of study. The total fish harvest was calculated by using Known creel census data times the number of fishermen using the lake as re- corded by automatic traffic counters operated by the Corps of Engineers. Spot checks determined the percentage of visitors that were actually fishing the lake. FISH HARVEST Almost one million anglers fished the lake during the ten-month period covered by this study. Table 1 records the number of fishermen using the lake each month and the results of their angling efforts. The harvest fishing pressure occured in April when 167,462 fishermen used the lake. The largest harvest was creeled in March when 306,035 pounds of fish were caught. Table 2 shows a breakdown of the data into spe- cies caught per month, the number of each species checked, their average weight and the percentage of the month's catch they represeht. January is not represented in the table due to the small amount of cre#l census data gathered that month. The products of Table 2 represent a larger number of creel census cards than were used to obtain data in Table 1. Some of the cards contained incomplete data and therefore could mt be used in compiling information for Table l. White crappie were the most abundant species caught, representing slightly more than one-third of the entire harvest. Largemouth black bass were next, accounting for a little Less than one-third of the total catch. Black crappie totaled about 11% of the catch. For information on the remaining species, see Table 2. Calculating the total production for a lake is sometimes difficult. Automat- ic traffic counters on the lake roads and spot checks to determine the percentage of visitors that were actually fishing the lake were a great help in the present study. As the lake was expanding in area during most of the ten months covered by the study, it was deemed necessary to break the fish harvest into month intervals. The mean sur- face acres of water in the lake as well as the number of calculated fishermen for each month were obtained from the Fort Worth office of the Corps of Army Engineers. Production of the lake was calculated by use of the information mentioned above based on the average catch per angler as obtained from the creel census crews by personal contact with the fishermen. Table 3 shows the mean surface acres of water in the lake each month and the pounds of fish harvested per surface acre during that month. It also shows the total harvest per acre for the ten month period. The lake was quite productive, furnishing 118.89 pounds of fish per surface acré, of which practically all were game fish. The data gathered during this period indicates that additional information may be obtain- ed by continuing the study. --- Page 3 --- Gal SUMMARY A ten-tionth creel census was run on Lake Whitney, Texas. ‘The lake te a new dipoundment which had just reached ites normal capacity of water Storage during the last month of the census. . Almost one million anglers fished the lake and more than two thousand of them were contacted personally for fishing data. The average fishing day was 5.08 hours long and yielded 2,83 figh, White crappie and largemouth bass bore the brunt of the fishing pressure, The lake yielded 2,741,139 fish for an average produetion of 118.89 pounds per surface acre during the ten«month study. --- Page 4 --- *qeaq pue °99q UT pe,OSeTTOO ejyep 9yy jo eZseieaae ue uo peseq eyep Aaenuer ~ H6c'62S°T 6ETSOZT 064° T6T SCOf90E Of26Q9G2 g9z5ZZ Zbz2SHS T4of42 6HOSOg O2TSHAT OOTSE6T qyysneo USTA°AT*3ST 6ETSTHLSS 966°90E HHSSSOW S66SSIth ZHOSSOE ZOOS TOT 6€4599 S9Q*6OT S9OSTST SEQSAEE T6QS06E qugsnen USTH*ON*ISH 926§906 O42°THT ZonSZOT LZE6S2kT HGZ°ZOT 6STSOn T6L45HR SLOSES €9z50L OLesHOT 96608 oxeT uo Sie Tszuy°ysa €Q°C Zt°e = §=gare eET°’ LG°E CG°2 §6h°T 40°? ST°2? het GBP feq aad USTA*ON* SAY gor’ 6H°S AAS S0°9 4h°S H8°S = 46°S = or?”d THE 92°9- OT°S (*dH) Aeq SUTUS Fa SAY T2S°O 96E°O HBHSO 9TS°O 229°O) OHO «=O4GZ°O) OthESO §=— 6G 9°0)— #L°O = 9€9°O Inoy-uen Iod ustd gg *S TS6 668 2S9T Z8h 9S2 62 692 SSS €99 CTE yugsneg UST °ON TSOSTT COZ Y9SET €QTte 408 6S4 tt €9Z CHQ 248 602 peusta * IH-UBWY °ON too'2 Beh €cet 925 ORT 62 6T O€T L42 LET TR peqzoequo) sieTsuy °oNn BBR IBAY en Ttady Yolew "qo « UPL "290d *AON *4590 *4dag ny Jo/pue Teq}o] _ 4S6T ¢S6T HS6T- €S6T sexe, ‘fauqTUM eyeT spieg snsuep [esd9 Words e4yeq jo uoF,elTNgeL °T sTqeL --- Page 5 --- DO 2ST OOTSSyL OFF" co" & et°e 60° L T9E" 9T° On 90h" ST" TE yee" ge-LT QQ@ET ‘“Sa¥ ao °403, BA Sec UOT gSd_ ch'z 3t- E OOf° O°T E 9gth°e oe Z 642° Qe"Zh GOy SAT DE°QsGE COT £S¢ oof" = LS*Tt 4 Tes" kge 9 22° loge 962 qSEt BLRET CCTLEGT OTH” 9f€° L LLL" 40° tT oOhee EL°y 06 HSE L°2S€ OOT 006 Sfx OZ" ET dé°Z oe T €" og" T zog’. «Of " ze GlT° ook gf HSGT ee"G2 =OOT TE £S6L €°TEL QOL &9e He?) 6Oh°ET OLE €S6L Z°ES5 OOL T9OT 00°2 8 ac° € €of° 6° S HIS" eH OCTEST £S6T DL.°GSS SOL ZQgZTt Sen* TE" + qiz’ S6°9T te €SS5T DT°LLZ COT 19S SRE g@r° OT STE* gE” T Zgt° gyrat OL €S61 2201 % “ON "38 "Bay _% "ON “snBay % "oN ‘3m “Bay % ON Sm"Bay ON “9H “Bay On STeqOL sseg yooy WSTIIED AOTTOL mmiag . YStyeD pesuring ustgunsg sepoadg SpunGd UL PSpP4loOosT ale SIusTOA oSei1say ' *Azeanuee at BIBb go UCTIOST TSO peyuseacaid ASUIBSA SUTZsa.r3 pus AcUS 2o3CHR zig” 06° #L gzg’ 6o°e 9g¢t TSS" "6°OT STG 6SE° HEHE HOQS S99" G6I°Z £9t LLOv 8 6goTGE ogee (°Sa¥} TS30] OSy" cS° SG OOT*T T6"% «=LRZeGS eh €L 65° g9g°oe cog OOT°T 6° 6 665° LL°0g §=66T HS6T Aer g6S" ay" Oe 6RQ™ SEE |= 6S QE" g6°TT JOE GyE" o0°ge O42 och" €a°t TE 6TFG*) «6GE*HE «OTS qS6T ‘ady OOL* ST°2 Of OSO°T Gy°T Le ogge wy6Lt 69€ Gla" LE-C€ Leg 669° gi°T HE 60-66" 9E «OZ6S SEL “2B £99° og" 84 SQT°TOO°T ¢ Gob° oo°g OF #E" oo°eE SO H6S" 09° Qi §he° oS*6S 962 HS6T *I3g GT°*T €2°E =OC@T: Zyf° - £0°6e 6 See €Syr€ T £O°T TS°HG Og ESET * ox 99L° OHH ZI Rg” es°S St of Tost GE ofg° L6°2 g "69° 22°09 «SOT ES6T “Ach OSE°T 66°T Te tS" Sy'h 6h fH goroe é6rF TES" 9°!’ o€& Ligt eran fS4 €S6L *290 269° 49°T 12 Teg° oL- 6 Tey" €t°é LTE agee 20S HQ €Sh° SLT ze 06299") SET LTE oeze €66t “dag § ze St off" 2f°6) €S6 “ON °K “Say "BAZ “Bay “Say “Bay “Say potiag See sseg UStIzeg atdde2193 etdder5 gsegq peageds sseg yoeTe safoads a1 Tu qeuueyg yoeTa 29 TUM io fyonquey qynomes.1e7 ee —___ Pee TE RT AgonqueyamomeSzeT . S6T-ES6T ‘sexoy, ‘feugrym eye, ‘satoadg snotaze, ayy fq paquaserdey yoreg s,4qUCK JO ° % pue ‘quS8tam eBe2zeay ‘reqamy <BUTACYS SpzeQ snsuej Teeig woaj eyeg Jo SUOTZETNGB, “Z STqel, --- Page 6 --- Table 3. Surface Acres of Water (Mean for Month} and the Pounds of Fish Harvested from Leke Whitney, August 1953 ~ May 1954*, eS) es a Tee. Pounds OF Fish I Lake (Mean) Fish Harvested — Harvested Per Acre August 1953 | 9,000 193,100 21.46 September 1953 9,700 174,120 17.95 October 1953 11,100 80,049 7.21 November 1953 13,900 74,071 5,33 December 1953 14,008 54,292 3.87 January 1954 15,002 77,268 5,15 February 1954 15,003 258,230 17.21 March 1954. 15, O04. 306,035 20.40 April 1954 15,005 191,990 12.80 May 16,001 120,139 To5L pincer aaesctn netbeans ibe Windies nineta af) rma ne tae mca hace Total 1,529,294 118.89 * « The lake level throughout the ten-month period was subjected to an almost con- tinuous bub not necessarily steady rise.