TPWD 1966 F-4-R-13 #1088: Region 2-A Fisheries Studies: Job No. B-33, Stocking Recommendations

--- Page 1 --- JOB COMPLETION REPORT [E | LL [E a As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No. F-4-R-13 REGION 2-A FISHERIES STUDIES Job No. B-33: Stocking Recommendations Project Leader: Charles T. Menn Co-Leader: Dwane Q. Smith J. R. Singleton Executive Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene A. Walker D-J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services December 8, 1966 --- Page 2 --- ABSTRACT Seining collections were made on ten lakes in the region during the segment reported. During this period, largemouth bass were stocked in Whitney, Pat Cleburne and Moss Lakes, and channel catfish were stocked in Amon Carter Lake near Bowie. All the lakes checked have sufficient forage to support game fish populations. With the exception of a few rises, due to spring rains, the water levels remained fairly constant in all lakes. --- Page 3 --- JOB COMPLETION REPORT State of Texas Project No. F-4-R-13 _ Name: Region 2-A Fisheries Studies Job No. B- 33 Title: Stocking Recommendations Period Covered: November 1, 1965 = October 31, 1966 Sn a Objectives: 1, To measure new or renovated lakes and to determine the area of water pre- sent for recommending stocking ratios. 2. To determine the abundance of age groups 0 to 1 (young of the year) in lakes having established fish populations. 3. To recommend stocking of Lakes having established fish populations but which lack game species in age groups 0 to l, Procedures: Seining collections were taken to provide data on natural reproduction by game fish species and in order to estimate availability of forage species. Water level fluctuations were noted, Supplementary stocking of game fish from State Hatchery production was based on results of the data collected, Table 1 is a checklist of fish taken in seining samples during the segment reported, Only common names are used in the body of this report, Two new reservoirs, Moss Lake in Cooke County and Lake Pat Cleburne in Johnson County, were recommended for stocking, Findings: Lake Worth In December 1965, six random seining collections were made on Lake Worth, The results are shown in Table 2, Blacktail and red shiners comprised more than 80 per cent of the total number of fish taken. Both are good forage species and are con- sidered an indication of available forage for game fish species. A single two-inch largemouth bass was taken in the six seining collections. This specimen was in good condition and represented successful reproduction. Since the collections were made in December, no large numbers of small bass were caught. No netting or rotenone collections were made to supplement the seining data, No recommendations were made for stocking additional bass or catfish. Lake Arlington Five seining collections were made on Lake Arlington in December 1965. In all, 426 specimen of seven species were taken in the collections (Table 3). Mosquitofish, --- Page 4 --- a Die Table 1. Checklist of fish species taken in lakes in Region 2-A. Common Name Scientific Name Longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Chub shiner Notropis potteri Blacktail shiner N. venustus Red shiner N. lutrensis Bullhead minnow Pimephales vigilax Tadpole madtom Schilbeodes gyrinus Blackstripe topminnow Fundulus notatus Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus White bass Roccus chrysops Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Warmouth Chaenobryttus gulosus Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus Redear sunfish L. microlophus Bluegill L. macrochirus White crappie Pomoxis annularis Logperch Percina caprodes Orangethroat darter Etheostoma spectabile Freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens --- Page 5 --- -3- Table 2. Seining results, Lake Worth. Species Number Per Cent of Number Golden shiner 2 1,00 Blacktail shiner 135 67.16 Red shiner 33 16.42 Bullhead minnow 4 1.99 Tadpole madtom 1 0.49 Blackstripe topminnow 1 0.49 Largemouth bass 1 0.49 Green sunfish 2 1.00 Redear sunfish 6 2,99 Bluegill 14 6.97 Logperch 2 1.00 Total 201 100.00 Table 3. Seining results, Lake Arlington. Species Number Per Cent of Number Gizzard shad 2 0.46 Blacktail shiner 11 2.59 Red shiner 45 10.56 Mosquitofish 225 52.82 Brook silverside 138 32.39 Largemouth bass 1 0.24 Bluegill ee 4 ee 0.94 Total 426 100.00 --- Page 6 --- ~4- brook silversides, and red shiners, in that order, comprised more than 95 per cent of the total number of fish taken. Only one largemouth bass was taken in the collecti This four-inch specimen was taken near the dam and represented successful reproduction. Even though no channel catfish were taken in the collections, there were several re- ports that a good population existed in the lake. No recommendations were made to stock additional fish. Lake Grapevine Six seining collections, made at various points on the lake, took a total of 260 fish of eight species (Table 3). Brook silversides alone comprised more than 70 per cent of the total number of fish taken. Collectively, red and blacktail shiners comprised more than 25 per cent by number. Thus there is sufficient forage in the lake. Three largemouth bass, ranging from two and one-half to three and one-fourth inches, were taken in the seining collections. These fish indicate successful repro- duction. No recommendations were made to stock either bass or catfish. Lake Whitney In December 1965, ten seining collections were made on Lake Whitney. In all, 211 specimen were taken (Table 4). Bullhead minnows comprised more than 50 per cent by number. Red and blacktail shiners together comprised more than 20 per cent by number, Thus it seems that there is sufficient forage in the lake. Even though four specimens were taken in the seines, it was decided to stock 280,000 largemouth bass. These fish were supplied by the Eagle Mountain State Fish Hatchery near Fort Worth. Benbrook Lake In December 1965, six seining collections were made on this lake. All told, 253 fish of 10 species were taken (Table 5). Blacktail shiners, red shiners and golden shiners, in that order, were the most abundant species taken. Together, they represented over 86 per cent of the total fish taken. In addition, 91 freshwater shrimp were collected in the six seining collections. Thus, there is ample forage in the lake. Three specimens of largemouth bass, from 3 to 4 inches long,’ were taken in the seining collections. These fish represent successful reproduction in the lake. In April, heavy rains on the watershed caused the lake level to rise about 10 feet, Otherwise, the lake level remained constant during the study period. No recommendations were made to stock either bass or catfish. --- Page 7 --- Table 4, Seining results, Lake Whitney —_— Species Number Per Cent of Number Ne Chub shiner 18 8.53 Blacktail shiner 17 8.05 Red shiner 28 13.27 Bullhead minnow 108 51.19 Mosquitofish 8 3.79 Brook silverside 9 4,26 Largemouth bass 4 1,90 Warmouth 1 0.47 Green sunfish 1 0.47 Bluegill 10 4,74 Logperch 1 0.47 Orangethroat darter 6 2.86 Total 211 100.00 i --- Page 8 --- Table 5. Seining results, Benbrook Lake ne ee Species Number Per Cent of Number ee Gizzard shad 8 3.16 Golden. shiner 30 . 11.85 Blacktail shiner 100 39.53 Red shiner 88 34.78 Bullhead minnow 6 2.37 Mosquitofish 8 3.16 Largemouth bass 3 1.19 Green sunfish 3 1.19 Bluegill 4 1.58 Logperch 3 1.19 Total 253 100.00 --- Page 9 --- ~j= Eagle Mountain Lake Six seining collections were made on Eagle Mountain Lake in December 1965. All together, 372 fish of 10 species were taken (Table 6). Blacktail shiners alone com- prised 87.90 per cent by number. These fish ranged from one-half to three inches in length. Since these fish are good forage, there seems to be ample food in the lake. Two specimens of largemouth bass, ranging from three and one-half to five inches, were taken in the seining collections. These fingerlings represent success- ful reproduction. No recommendations were made to stock either largemouth bass or channel catfish. Amon Carter Lake Four seining collections were made on this lake. Two were made in March and two in June. Results are shown in Table 7. Only three species of fish were taken in the March collections, In these collections, blacktail shiners comprised 50 per cent by number and red shiners 35 per cent by number. However, in the June collections, no blacktail shiners were taken. Brook silversides comprised more than 64 per cent by number and bluegill comprised more than 14 per cent by number. Four largemouth bass were taken representing 7.14 per cent of the total. These fish, from one and a half to six inches long, represented successful reproduction. No recommendations were made to stock largemouth bass, but 8,000 channel cat- fish were stocked. The fish were stocked in the latter part of October 1966, and ranged from four to eight inches in length. Lake Bridgeport Nine seining collections were made in March and June and results are shown in Table 8, Red shiners, brook silversides, mosquitofish and gizzard shad, in that order, comprised 84.33 per cent by number. One white bass, 13 largemouth bass and two white crappie were taken in the collections. The largemouth bass, which were taken in the June collections, ranged from one and a half to three and a half inches in length. Obiously these fish were spawned in the lake and represented successful reproduction. Also, evidence was found to indicate that the white crappie had spawned. Two crappie, ranging from three and a fourth to five inches, were taken in the seining collections, The water level was normal when the seining collections were made in March, but it was above normal in June. Heavy rains on the watershed in June filled the lake to capacity and caused it to be about 15 feet above its normal level. Since sufficient evidence of a good game fish population was found, no recommen- dations were made to stock either largemouth bass or channel catfish, Nocona Lake In June 1966, three seining collections were made on this lake. All told, 236 fish of five species were taken (Table 9), Brook silversides comprised more than --- Page 10 --- Table 6. Seining results, Eagle Mountain Lake. Species Number Per Cent of Number Gizzard shad 1 0.26 Golden shiner 2 0.54 Blacktail shiner 327 87.90 Red shiner 5 1.35 Bullhead minnow 5 1.33 Blackstripe topminnow 2 0.54 Largemouth bass 2 0.54 Green sunfish 2 0.54 Bluegill 23 6.17 Logperch 3 0.81 Total 372 100.00 --- Page 11 --- Table 7. Seining results, Amon G. Carter Lake. -_o eC eee — Species Number Per Cent of Number en Blacktail shiner 7 50.00 Red shiner 5 35.71 Bluegill 2 14.29 Total 14 100.00 Seining results, Amon G. Carter Lake. — SS ee Species Number Per Cent of Number Np Red shiner 4 7.14 Mosquitofish 4 7.14 Brook silverside 36 64,29 Largemouth bass 4 7.14 Bluegill 8 14,29 Total 56 100.00 --- Page 12 --- ~10- Table 8. Seining results, Lake Bridgeport. Species Number Per Cent of Number Longnose gar 1 0.21 Gizzard shad 77 16.32 Blacktail shiner 2d 5.72 Red shiner 113 23.94 Blackstripe topminnow L 0.21 Mosquitofish 96 20.34 Brook silverside 112 23.73 White bass 1 0.21 Largemouth bass 13 2.75 Warmouth 1 0.21 Bluegill 25 5.30 White crappie 2 0.42 Freshwater drum 3 0,64 Total 472 100.00 --- Page 13 --- =11= Table 9. Seining Results, Nocona Lake. Species Number Per Cent of Number Gizzard shad 4 1.70 Red shiner 15 6.35 Brook silverside 202 85.59 Largemouth bass 4 1.70 Bluegill 11 4.66 Total 236 100.00 --- Page 14 --- -12« &5 per cent of the total number of fish taken. Red shiners, a good forage species, comprised more than 6 per cent of the collections. There appears to be sufficient forage available for game fish species. Four largemouth bass, ranging from one to two inches in length, were taken in the collections. Obiously these fish were spawned in the lake and represented successful reproduction. Several reports were heard of a good bass population. Also, it was reported that there is a good channel catfish population in the lake. No recommendations were made to stock either bass or catfish. Garza-Little Elm Lake In October 1966, six seining collections were made on this lake. In all, 632 fish of seven species were taken (Table 10). Collectively, gizzard shad, brook silver- sides and red shiners comprised nearly 98 per cent of the total number. Four large- mouth bass, ranging from three to four inches in length, were taken in the collections. These fish represented successful reproduction. No recommendations were made for stocking additional bass. Moss Lake Moss Lake, in Cooke County, was built by the city of Gainesville as a water supply reservoir. The dam was completed in August 1966. The Eagle Mountain State Fish Hatchery stocked 20,000 largemouth bass on August 31, 1966. When the lake fills, it will cover approximately 2,500 acres. Since this is a new lake and is not yet full, no seining collections were made. Lake Pat Cleburne This lake is located on the Noland River about six miles southwest of Cleburne, Johnson County, and serves as a water supply reservoir for the city of Cleburne. Since this is a new lake, the Eagle Mountain State Fish Hatchery near Fort Worth stocked 250,000 largemouth bass in the spring of 1966. No seining collections were made during this segment. Discussion: Seining collections were made on ten lakes in this region during the segment. Due to a lack of time, other lakes mentioned in the job description were not checked. All the lakes checked have sufficient forage to support game fish populations. With the exception of a few rises, due to spring rains, the water levels remained fairly constant in all the lakes. During this segment, largemouth bass were stocked in Whitney, Pat Cleburne and Moss Lakes, and channel catfish were stocked in Amon Carter “ near Bowie. “eed he Prepared by__ Charles T. Menn Approved by LL: Leet. Project Leader (Coordinator) Date December 8, 1966 . Fisheries Supervisor --- Page 15 --- -13- Table 10. Seining results, Garza Little Elm Lake. re Species Number Per Cent of Number Gizzard shad 423 66.93 Blacktail shiner 7 1.10 Red shiner 81 12.82 Mosquitofish 1 0.16 Brook silverside 115 18.19 Largemouth bass 4 0.64 Bluegill 1 0.16 Total 632 100.0@