TPWD 1954 F-4-R-1 #77: Inventory of Species Present in Possum Kingdom Lake, Palo Pinto County, Texas

--- Page 1 --- STATE Texas PROJECT NO. F-4-R-1, Job B-y PERIOD June ¥, 1953 - May 31, 1954 Segment Completion Report by Leonard D. Lamb Project Leader Robert N. Hambric Assistant Project Leader TITLE Inventory of Species Present in Possum Kingdom Lake, Palo Pinto County, Texas. OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative abundance as well as to ‘determine the ecological factwowrs influencing their distribution. HISTORY OF LAKE Possum Kingdom Reservoir, completed in 1941, is located on the Brazos Riv- er a few miles west of Graford, Texas, and approximately 245 miles upstream from Whitney Dam. Portions of the reservoir lie in Palo Pinto, Stephens and Young Coun- ties and one small arm enters Jack County when the lake is full. The reservoir is owned and operated by the Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation District for the purpose of hydroelectric power, irrigation and municipal uses. Large rains filled the entire basin in six days following the closure of the dam in 1941. The lake was closed to fishing during the first year of its life. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Possum Kingdom is a clear-water lake impounding 19,991 surface acres when the water is at spillway level, (elev. 1,000 ft. above sea level). It has a total storage capacity of 733,800 acre feet. The lake is approximately 67 miles long and has a 310 mile shoreline. It is a narrow winding lake with an irregular shoreline, characterized by gently sloping valleys in some areas and limestone bluffs in oth- ers. The lake bottom is composed of partly sandy farm land as well as grazing land containing some trees. There was little if any timber removed from the reser- voir as it was Plooded before clearing operations could begin. Possum Kingdom Dam controls a drainage area of 23,048 square miles drained by the Brazos River and its tributaries. The soils are of the West Cross Timbers primarily of the Windthropt - Nimrod group. The above area is characterized by sandy soil with some outcrops of heavy dark soil of the Denton - San Seba Sands. Vegetation is composed chiefly of post oak, black jack, mesquite, cedar, pecan and bunch grasses. Seventeen and one- half percent of the drainage area is farming land and the remainder is used for grazing, Possum Kingdom Lake is subject to rather rapid fluctuation in the water lev- el due to periodic draw downs for irrigation and manufacturing of electricity. The exact effect that the fluctuating water level has had upon the fish life of the lake is not certain at this date. --- Page 2 --- CHEMICAL, CHARACTERISTICS There were no chemical analyses made of the lake by the State Game and Fish Commission during the past year, AQUATIC VEGETATTON Aquatic vegetation does not create & problem in the lake. However, the low level of water during the past three years has allowed much salt cedar and blood weeds to grow on the exposed lake shore. When the lake refilled during the summer and fall of 1953 most of the vegetation Was covered with water. It is probable that the fish life of the lake benefited by the inundation of the vast amount of vegetation growing around the lake at that time. COLLECTING METHODS The fish population of the lake was random sampled by the use of gill nets and minnow seines, Part of the sets were made with gill nets 8 feet deep by 100 feet long with Square mesh sizes of ] inch to 3 inches, Other sets were made with Sill nets 8 feet deep and 125 feet long which contained a series of 25 foot sec- tions in which the square mesh sizes were graduated in one-half inch intervals from One to three inches. Seining collectiong were made with 30 x 6 feet straight seines and 30 x 6 ft. bag seines each with | inch mesh, Data taken from fish caught in sill nets ineluded the length, weight, sex, stomach content and degree of parasitism, if any, of each fish, Seales from the game fish were collected for future age and Browth studies, Table 1 records the checklist of fishes collected from Possum Kingdom Lake. RESULT OF SEINTNG COLLECTIONS Two seining collections were made on the lake, One collection made July 19, 1953 netted 62 specimens representing seven Species. Another collection taken May 28, 1954 found 880 Specimens representing 10 Species. The Rio Grande tetras found May 28, 1954 were probably introdaced by bait fishermen. Their ability to Survive in the lake during the winter months is Questionable. Tabulations of the seining col- lections are found in Table 2 RESULTS OF NETTING COLLECTIONS Ninety gill net sets were made on the Lake from July 1953 until May 1954, yielding 1516 Specimens. Game fish composed 31% of the catch amwhite bass were the most abundant game fish taken. Gizzard shad were the most abundant species netted and accounted for almost one-half of the entire catch, A comparison of the data rep- resenting game fish and rough fish Species is recorded in Table 3, The length, weight and coefficient of condition of all fish collected by gill nets are given in Table 4, The results of monthly catches of each species showing the number caught and the percent of the total monthly eatch they represent, is re- corded in Table 5. Corresponding information ig listed in Table 6 except the catch is represented by weight and the percent column shows the percent of the total weight of that month's catch for each Species, The number of Sill nets set each month varied from month to month, Table 7 shows the frequency of capture of each Species as well as the number Caught per 100 ft. of net set and the Seasonal variation in catches. --- Page 3 --- DISCUSSION Possum Kingdom Lake is one of the more popular fishing lakes in Texas and draws a considerable portion of the fishermen from West Texas and the Plains Reg- ion where good fishing water is scarce, It is common knowledge that the lake afford- ed excellent fishing during the first few years of its life. For three or four years preceding the start of this program, fishing (especially bass fishing) became pro- gressively less productive. The water level dropped lower and lower until July of 1953 when the water level was approximately 35 ft. below the spillway outlet. There was apparently no direct adverse effect upon fish during that period due to an abun- dance of water left in the lake. However, a large concentration of forage fish, including shad and blacktail minnows, was developed in the lake during the years of low water level which also coincided with the poor fishng period. Observations of the local fishermen indicate there may have been some preying upon the nest of game fish by the large schools of shad and spottail minnows ever present in their spawn- ing areas. It is expected that such an abundance of forage fish might curtail the movements of the game species resulting in a poor harvest by the fishermen. Large rains resulted in a rise of the water level in July 1953 and addition- al rains filled the lake in a few months. Much land area that had been exposed for a long time, as well as the vegetation growing on it was covered with water. An ex- cellent bass catch the following spring may have been the result of the extensive rise in water level and expansion of the lake area. In an effort to reduce the surplus of forage fish in the lake, a proclama- tion allowing commercial exploitation of minnows wasenacted in February 1954. It:is hoped that the removal of surplus minnows from the lake, together with the expanded lake area and the natural run of minnows up the flowing streams will be sufficient to alleviate the problem of surplus forage fish in the lake. An accidental stocking of white bass in the lake occured in about 1949. They have multiplied and grown rapidly and have furnished excellent fishing the past two years. The abundance of white bass now found in the lake may also help control the over supply of shad and minnows thus helping to produce better catches of black bass. An extensive rough fish removal program has been active for the past three or four years. Hundreds of tons of carp, buffalo, carpsucker, shad and gar have been re- moved from the water by state contract fishermen using gill nets, barrel nets and drag seines. several striped mullet have been caught in the commercial fishermen's nets. One specimen weighed nine pounds after it had been dressed and frozen. The mullet were probably introduced as young fish by bait fishermen several years ago. The success of reproduction by the species in the lake has not yet been established. Information on the success of the fish spawns during the past years is not available, but the present study inditates a very successful bass pawn for the spring of 1954. An abundance of food in the lake and an adequate growth of protective vege- tation should encourage survival and growth of fry. Table 8 records the fish stock- ed in the lake since 1945. Lack of biological information and reports of a decline in fish harvest from the lake resulted in the instigation of this project. Data resulting from the work indicates that additional information can be obtained by prolonging the study. Data collected from representative seine and net stations is included in the following data sheets and is typical of the data collected from all such stations. --- Page 4 --- SUMMARY Possum Kingdom is a clear water lake located on the Brazos River a few miles west of Graford, Texas. The reservoir impounds almost 20,000 surface acres, backs up the river for67 miles and has a 310 mile shoreline. It is sub- ject to fairly rapid water fluctuations. Ninety gill net sets on the lake caught 1516 fish which weighed a total of 1497 pounds. Nineteen species were represented. Rough fish constituted 76% by weight and 69% by number of the fish taken. Shad were the most abundant fish netted and accounted for 48% of the total fish caught. White bass were the most abundant game fish taken, representing 8% of the total catch. Two seine collections yielded 942 fish representing 12 species. The plains red shiner represented 53% of the total specimens collected. Largemouth bass fry accounted for 113% of the collection. The Rio Grande tetra and striped mullet were probably introduced by bait fishermen. Data resulting from the project indicate that additional information can be obtained by prolonging the study. Data collected from representative net and seine stations and typical of data collected from all stations 4¥eincluded. --- Page 5 --- Table 1. Checklist of Fish Species from Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas, 1953-1954. Common Name Spotted Gar Longnose Gar Gizzard Shad Rio Grande Tetra Smallmouth Buffalo River Carpsucker German Carp Ribbon Shiner Red Shiner (redhorse) Blacktail Shiner (spottail) Parrot Minnow Channel Catfish Yellow Cat (flathead cat) Mosquitofish Striped Mullet White bass (sand bass) Largemouth black bass Warmouth bass Bluegill (oveam) Redear Sunfish Green sunfish Yellowbelly Sunfish White crappie Logperch Dru Scientific Name Lepisosteus productus Lepisosteus osseus Dorosoma cepedianum Astyanax fasciatus Ietiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio Cyprinus carpio Notropis fumeus Notropis lutrensis Notropis venustus Pimephales vigilax Ictalurus punctatus Pilodictus olivaris Gambusia affinis Mugil cephalus Morone chrysops Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus coronarius Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis microlophus Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis auritus Pomoxis annularis Percina caprodes Aplodinotus grunniens --- Page 6 --- Table 2. Results of Seining Collections by Number of Each Species, Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas, 1953 - 195%. Species July 19, 1953 May 28, 1954 Total % of Total Micropterus salmoides 9 99 108 11.45 Lepomis macrochirus el 9 30 3.17 Lepomis microlophus i 1 0.10 Lepomis cyanellus 1 a 0.10 Notropis venustus 1 200 201 21.33 Notropis lutrensis 6 495 501 53.17 Notropis umbratilis 1 a 0.10 Notropis fumeus 16 16 1.69 Pimephales vigilax 23 39 62 6.78 Gambusia affinis 18 18 1.81 Astyanax fasciatus 2 2 0.20 Carpiodes carpio 1 1 0.10 Total 62 880 ghe 100.00 --- Page 7 --- Table 3. A Comparison of the Game and Rough Species Caught in Gill Nets from Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas, 1953 - 1954.* Total Number of Specimens Caught 1,516 Total Weight of Specimens Caught 1,497.45 Average Weight Per Specimen 0.99 Total Weight of Rough Fish 1,143.81 Total Weight of Game Fish 353.64 Total Number of Rough Fish 1,045 Total Number of Game Fish 71 Average Weight Per Rough Fish 1.09 Average Weight Per Game Fish 0215 Percent Rough Fish (by weight) 76.38 Percent Game Fish (by weight) 23.62 Percent Rough Fish (by number) 68.94 Percent Game Fish (by number) 31.06 * ~ Drum and Catfish included in game fish. --- Page 8 --- 9e°z G9°%? 9th c6°h LG°€ vss T9°2 gle €9°T ZS°z TS°2 LOE T6°T Co°S OSBIeaV Sy 68°e-S2°2 ZH" 4-QO°T HO" S-OT*t 29 °S-GS° th T2°€-GeN°Y] 0S°€-40°T 61° €-68°0 @1,°3-9L°2 O€°S-zZE'T 69°2-0L°2 EL*e-4z"2 Tg’ €-0S°2 68°2-O0n°T 0S°€-40'T esuey My 6LT GLT gOT ol G6 9st Bee €9OT Te9 Let SHO geet Log 9st aSBIOAy qUSTOM O€S-zHT OTH-LS ZHT-S6 ETI-sh Ell ~ahy SST2-ETT TSQ-OLT EQOT-E£90T ETOZ-O9T HETT-Q6T LiyeT-€6 OLO0e-LS G9e%-eHT SSte-ETT (my) e8ueyq ZUSTOM LET 192 (WM) “zeay (WW) "T °4S HS6T-ES6T ‘sexe ‘ayeT MopSuTy wnssod Woy syeN TIT) Worz peqoeTtop usta JO uoTyTpuog Fo quetoTgZyecg pue qyBtom ‘yASueET gTe-tet qSS-qIT QyT-T2T €€T-ZOT TLT-ZOT G6%-6ST GOE-TET 9On-90% EQH-OTS Z9E-TET 9SE-2ST 904-L2T 6He-LET S6q-6ST asuey “T *b4s 92eT T id. 6T 9E O9T 6eL, 06 6S Taqunn T8407, OMA] etdder9 eat ystgung ATTSeqnotTe ystgung [TtsentTg_ ystjyung 1eeapey sseg YynowseszeT sseg 3at (UsTF7eo peeyyeT ys) MOTTO UST FeO Teuueyo| dzeo usvsdoing Aayonsdseg Faaty oTesINg YYNowTT sus pes pzezzty) rey essousucT rey peqqods satoedg | “ OTABL --- Page 9 --- 00°00T €0T GQ°It at 19°OL Tt ge"e H g9°OT TT L6°C T 6°I 2 Go°h S €S°9h = 0S og°h S L6°T é “AON 00°OOT 65 "2 6£°O dt" 9 £S°6S Loh 1&2 ST eT TT 6T EST ot 4L°O OL? € ett QT°S Syl Bq" T 99°9 gt°S BHT Li LE 4°02 HTS °HS6T - €S6T ‘sexe, ‘aye] mopsuty unssog ___00°00T SET. a OT TS Si TT 00° 00T T6°T EL? 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Crappie Channel Cat Warmouth Bream 2,190,000 1,934,000 3,665,000 35,000 51,500 10,000 265,000 | 2,023,000 315,000 200,000 2,200,000 205,950 235,497 970,555 600,000 TT ,000 14,301,002 35,000 "en ae sam nh pace SE * ~ Records up to May 1954. **.This planting was done by the U. S. Fish Cultural Station. --- Page 14 --- Date 2-9-5h Kingdom Station 2 Collection No. p).9 Locality Remarks Fish remains Fish remains B/ Ba] By | dal et] al s ‘ - ° m1 or} oy CO] co} Cleat] col ™ WA] St] SO: cd No) | © @ é @ e e 2 @ e NEN A) alo ap ow Nl a oO; UN oO} a oO > H NUN NE Ay] om a O tN £ BLN al as LYN 4 : il LETTE & ado. Fe Cc O NY} CO O (e) i i B 2 t,t i i a ed a © eq Fy Fe ee] = 5 ' ad ‘e| U s = a sme A Sl & ¢ ] Overnight Stom Ki pecies had Tackle Used_aji} net 100x8x Experimental . Time --- Page 15 --- LIST FISH Date 2-9~5); Possum Kinedon Lake Name of Water ATT TT ATT ATT £ : ; © SI A ' U si fT) O q q 7 U 4 .w = ioe IC --- Page 16 --- IMPOUNDMENT SURVEY FORM Name of Water: Possum Kingdom Lake Investigator: Hambric Location: Palo Pinto County Date: May 1954 Surface acres; 19,991 Average depth: ? Acre Ft. 733,800 Max. depth: ? Tributaries: Brazos and Clear Fork Drainage Area: 17,656 sq. mi. Dam; Length: ? Height? ? Construction; Concrete Year built: 1941 Bottom type: Mud, rock, gravel Aquatic vegetation: Amount: Abundant Locations: Sand & Bloodweed Islands Kinds: Nejas, Bloodweeds, Salt Cedar Profile: Rough Surrounding area: Land use: Farming and grazing Profile: Rough Water level fluctuation; Severe at times. Water uses: Hydroelectric, irrigation. Types of Fishing: Still fishing, casting, trot lines. No. fishermen seen: ? Catch: Fair Approx No. Cottages; ? Boats: ? Boat liveries: 15 Free beaches; Accessibility: Fair Fishing Reputation: Good Previous Five Year Stocking: Largemouth bass, channel catfish, bream. Pollution: Salt water from Clear Fork of Brazos. Remarks; None. some --- Page 17 --- Fish Card Coll. No.: Locality: Possum Kingdom Time: 12:30 PM. Description Shoreline: Shallow, gradual slope Bottom; Mud Covers Sparse Weather: Present: Hot, scattered clouds Water Temperatures Hot Date: May 28 Preceeding: Hot, clear Color: Clear Surfaces Turbidity: 25 ppm Bottom: Vegetation: Submerged: None Floating: None Emerged: Short grass Predators; Longnose gar Parasites and Disease: None Tackle Used: Minnow Seine Length: 30' Mesh: 1/4" Depth: 6! No. of Hauls: 4 Length 6f hauls: 50! Species No. Species No. Notropis venustus 148 Largemouth bass fry 86 Gambusia affinis 16 Notropis lutrensis 98 Lepomis cyanellus L Lepomis macrochirus 9 Lepomis microlophus 1 Pimephales vigilax 3 Notropis fumeus a Total 363 Collector: Hambric