TPWD 1955 F-6-R-2 #170: Inventory of Fish Species in Lower Rio Grande Valley Lakes: Lake Bentsen, Delta Orchards Lake, and Olmito Lake, Texas, Project No. F-6-R-2, Job B-5

--- Page 1 --- TITLE Grande Valley. OBJECTIVES waters. PROCEDURE STATE Texas Project No. F-6-R-2, Job B-5 PERIOD July 1, 1954 to June 30, 195 Segment Completion Report by ‘Alvin Flury and Luciano Guerra inventory of the fish species present in some small lakes in the Rio To determine the species present and their relative numbers in the above a. Netting Collections L. Two net stations were established in each of the three lakes studied. Twenty-one experimental gill net sets were made in both Delta Orchards Lake and Olmito Lake during the period and twenty-six were made in Bentsen Lake. Two 100 x 8 foot gill nets with 2 inch square mesh and three 100 x 8 foot nets with 3 inch square mesh were set in Bentsen Lake in an attempt to control rough fish. . No hoop or fyke nets were set. All fish taken in these nets were weighed, measured, sexed and parasites noted. Stomachs were collected and preserved for laboratory study. Seining Collections 1. A bag seine 30 x 6 feet with 1/4 inch was used to make two collections in Lake Bentsen and two collections in Delta Orchards. No suitable seining beach has been found in Olmito Lake. Data recorded from the fish taken in netting and seining was re- corded and filed for use in making the detailed job completion report. --- Page 2 --- RESULTS SUMMARY ~2- Netting Collections 1. From Lake Bentsen a total of 866 fish of 12 species were taken, from Delta Orchards Lake 1523 fish of 14 species were taken and from Olmito Lake 1055 fish of 16 species were taken. 2. The five 2 and 3 inch mest nets set in Lake Bentsen took 241 fish of 9 species. 3. No fish were taken in hoop or fyke nets. 4, Information gathered from the fish was recorded and filed for future use on the job completion report. Seining Collections 1. The two seining collections from Bentsen Lake produced 1081 fish of 8 species. The two from Delta Orchards Lake produced 343 fish of 6 species. A total of 18 species of fish were recorded from Lake Bentsen, 17 from Delta Orchards Lake. Data concerning the fishes condition and size was recorded and will be used in the job completion report. The at- tached tables show the numbers and percentages of the fish taken from the different lakes. All fish taken from three small lakes in the lower Rio Grande Valley (Lake Bentsen, Delta Orchards Lake and Olmito Lake) were weighed, measured, sexed and parasites noted. Data collected will be presented in job completion report. Fish lists siow the numbers and percentages of each species of fish taken from the three lakes during the second segment. --- Page 3 --- Table 1 Results of Seining and Netting Collections in Lake Bentsen Species Lepisosteus spatula Lepisosteus productus Lepisosteus osseus Dorosoma cepedianum Astyanax fasciatus Ietiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio Hybopsis aestivalis Notropis lutrensis Ictalurus furcatus Ameiurus melas Cyprinodon variegatus Menidia beryllina Micropterus salmoides Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis macrochirus Aplodionotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttata Total (es) on hk (2) COOFOFRNDOOOWOOOFUOOO WW bt bY Netting 13 29 9 71 0 34 18 2h3 866 Total 13 2g g 896 8h 34k 18 9 109 115 i 12 31 16 1 h 243 L3 19:7 Percent 667 1.489 462 46.019 4.314 17.668 9ek 462 5.598 5.906 .O51 .616 1.592 821 O51 »205 12.480 . 667 --- Page 4 --- Table 2 Results of Seining and Netting Collections in Delta Orchards Lake Species Lepisosteus spatula Lepisosteus productus Lepisosteus osseus Dorosoma cepedianum Astyanax fasciatus Ictiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio Notropis lutrensis Ietalurus furcatus Mugil cephalus Menidia beryllina Micropterus salmoides Pomoxis annularis Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis macrochirus Aplodionotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttata Total Seining DOWOCDTDDCOACOWMOFOCO 343 Netting 72 10 17 9h O 487 52 0 361 60 0 281 2 y) 140 1 1585 Total 72 LO 18 403 3 87 52 7 361 60 20 3 281 2 8 140 1 1928 3 Percent .734 .518 £934 903 v1 55 0259 697 . 363 » 724 .112 -037 «155 0515 - LO¥ 2415 .261 .052 --- Page 5 --- Table 3 Results of Netting Collections in Olmito Lake Species Netting Percent Lepisosteus spatula 20 1.974 Lepisosteus productus 229 22.606 Dorosoma cepedianum 126 12.438 Ictiobus bubalus 381 37.611 Carpiodes carpio 87 8.588 Ictalurus furcatus 5 49k Ietalurus punctatus 2 197 Ameiurus melas 25 2.468 Mugil cephalus 5 494 Micropterus salmoides 5 49k Pomoxis annularis ah 2.369 Lepomis macrochirus 36 3.554 Lepomis auritus 20 1.974 Aplodionotus grunniens ay 3.653 Cichlasoma cyanoguttata 11 1.086 Total 1013