TPWD 1966 F-5-R-13 #1089: Region I-B Fisheries Studies: Job No. 5 Stocking Recommendations

--- Page 1 --- JOB COMPLETION REPORT As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No. F-5-R-13 REGION I-B FISHERIES STUDIES Job No. 5 Stocking Recommendations Project Leader: James Wilcox J. Weldon Watson Executive Director Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene A. Walker D-J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services February 3, 1966 --- Page 2 --- ABSTRACT Seining and netting collections, visual observations and hydrological data were used to determine which Region I-B lakes required stocking from the state fish hatcheries. Eight public lakes received largemouth bass and/ or channel catfish. Seven other lakes were not stocked because the carry- ing capacity of their water areas was already utilized by game and/or rough fish species, and the prognosis for additional water catchment was not promising. --- Page 3 --- JOB COMPLETION REPORT State of Texas Project No. F-5-R-13 Name: Region I-B Fisheries Studies Job No. ») Title: Stocking Recommendations Period Covered: March 1, 1965 to February 28, 1966 Objectives: To determine those waters which will benefit from stocking. Procedures: Water areas were assessed at public reservoirs during the stocking sea- son to determine whether expansion or diminution had occurred. Most eval- uations were estimates based on surveillance of known landmarks or water out- let gauges. Some hydrological readings were obtained from pertinent agencies. Seines were employed, where topography did not prohibit, to help estimate the abundance of age classes zero and one for largemouth bass and channel cat- fish. Dimensions of the various seines used are described as their catches are reported. Only 1-, 1%- and 2-inch mesh gill nets were needed to sample young game fish. However, standard nets were used since they were already avail- able and contained the meshes needed, along with 2%-, 3- and 34-inch mesh. Data obtained under Job 4 were perused, along with the information com- piled under this job, to determine which lakes would benefit from stocking. A checklist of scientific names is presented so that common names may be used in this report. These names are specified in 'A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada", Second Edition, American Fisheries Society, Special Publication Number 2, 1960. Longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Goldfish Carassius auratus Carp Cyprinus carpio solden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Red shiner Notropis lutrensis Blacktail shiner Notropis venustus Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas River carpsucker Carpiodes carpio Black bullhead Ictalurus melas _ Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis --- Page 4 --- White bass Warmouth Green sunfish Orangespotted sunfish Bluegill Longear sunfish Redear sunfish Largemouth bass White crappie Logperch Roccus chrysops Chaenobryttus gulosus Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis humilis Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis megalotis Lepomis microlophus Micropterus salmoides Pomoxis annularis Percina caprodes --- Page 5 --- Stocking Requests None None 8,500 bass fry (g-) 120,000 bass fry (g-) 20,000 bass fry (g-) 135,000 bass fry 35,300 catfish fingerlings (g.) 60,000 bass fry 50,000 catfish fingerlings (i). 48,000 bass fry (g-) 10,000 bass fry Findings: Table 1. A Compilation of Hydrological and Fish Population Data and the Resultant Stocking Requests for the 1965 Stocking Season. Lake Population Findings __ Hydrological Conditions Abundance of Youn Job Tables Bass Catfish Colorado City 5 2 Lake nearly full and level, Common Common relatively constant. (c.) l/ (e.&f.) Champion Creek 5 3&4 Level 24' below spillway. As Abundant Common full as has ever been. (b.,c.&d.) (b.&e.) Mountain Creek 5 5(a.) Maximum capacity. Level rose Common Common 2' day before nets set. (b.&e.) (b.&e.) Oak Creek 5 6&7 8' below conservation level Abundant Common on 7-9-65; but had recently (c.) (d.,e.&f.) caught 15'. New Winters 5 8&9 1' below spillway on 5-6-65, Common Abundant after heavy rains. 3' below (c.) (b.) on 8-18-65. Nasworthy 5 10(a.) 1' below capacity during Abundant Common spring. (b.&d.) (b.&e.) Twin Buttes 5 11 Varied between 5,000 and Common Common 12,000 acre feet. Conser- (b.&d.) (b.&e.) vation pool capacity - 170,060 acre feet. Big Lake a — Dry mr “oes J. B. Thomas 4 1&2 Caught 18" on 5-16-65 but Common Abundant still 15.55' below spillway. (b.) (b.) Valley Creek 4 3,465 Ran over spillway several Rare Rare times during spring and summer. (b.) (b.) (g.&h.) --- Page 6 --- Table l. (continued ) Lake Population Findings Hydrological Conditions Abundance of Youn Stocking Requests Job Tables Bass Catfish Old Winters 4 6&7 14' below spillway on 8-19-65. Abundant Abundant None (c.) (b.) Elm Creek 4 8 & 9 Ran over dam several times Rare Rare None during summer. (b.) (b.) (4-&k.) San Angelo 4 10,11& 22,220 acre-feet on 4-16-65 Rare Common 270,000 bass fry 12 (when partial renovation (b.&c.) (b.) 135,000 catfish 16a49 3&4 effectuated). Caught addi- before fingerlings (g.&h. ) tional 8,000 acre-feet during renovation. May. Old Robert Lee 4 13 & 14 Less than half full. Common Rare None (b.&c.) (b.&e.) (k.&1.) Towle Park 4 15 & 16 Full (55 acre-feet) Rare Common None (b.&e.) (b.) (1.) I 1/ Key a. Seining impossible because of obstructions. b. Netting results. c. Seining results. d. Visual observation. e. Creel reports f. Prior biological samples g. Increased water area. h. Scarcity of game fish. i. Probability of runoff great because of large watershed. j- Being considered for renovation. k. Carrying capacity utilized by rough fish. 1. Carrying capacity utilized by sunfish and crappie. --- Page 7 --- Table 2. Results of 24 Seining Collections From Lake Colorado City on June 21, 1965 and July 1, 1965. (20 collections with a 20-foot straight seine, 6 feet deep with X-inch mesh.) (2 collections with a 30-foot straight seine, 6 feet deep with %-inch mesh.) (2 collections with a 100-foot straight seine, 8 feet deep with %-inch mesh.) Species Number Size Range in Inches Gizzard shad 261 1-6 Goldfish 1 6 Red shiner 1 2 Blacktail shiner 844 14-4 Bluegill 20 14-4 Redear sunfish 5 4-5 Largemouth bass 13 2-15 Logperch 11 2-4 Total 1156 Table 3. Results of Six Seining Collections From Champion Creek Reservoir on August 31, 1965. (6 collections with a 20-foot straight seine, 6 feet deep with %-inch mesh.) Species Number Size Range in Inches Golden shiner 1 3 Blacktail shiner 31 1-3 Green sunfish 1 4 Bluegill 150 1-4 Largemouth 8 24-64% Total 191 --- Page 8 --- Table 4. Results of Four Gill Nets Set in Champion Creek Reservoir on July 15, 1965. Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Average Species Number __by No. Pounds Pounds by Wt. KM Golden shiner 2 2.10 33 al? .63 2.06 River carpsucker 1 1.05 2.50 2.50 ee | 3.23 Channel catfish 5 52? 19.56 3.91 37.38 2.13 Green sunfish 2 2.10 .18 . 09 235 3.61 Bluegill 65 68.42 20.66 .32 39.48 5.04 Largemouth bass 18 18.95 8.09 245 15.45 2.30 White crappie 2 2.11 1.01 8) 1.94 3.15 i Totals 95 100.00 52.33 100.00 i Table 5. Results of Four Gill Nets Set in Mountain Creek Reservoir on April 29, 1965. Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Average Species Number __by No. Pounds Pounds by Wt. yg Golden shiner 19 8.29 2.73 .14 7.92 2.19 River carpsucker 1 244 2.62 2.62 7.60 3.81 Black bullhead 1 244 2.25 2.25 6.54 3.08 Channel catfish 2 .87 2.75 1.38 7.98 1.90 Warmouth 2 . 87 83 42 2.41 4.15 Bluegill 132 57.64 11.83 09 34.34 3.75 Largemouth bass 6 2.62 4.02 .67 11.67 2.89 White crappie 66 28.83 7.42 .ll 21.54 2.59 Totals 229 100.00 34.45 100.00 Table 6. Results of Four Seining Collections From Oak Creek Reservoir on July 8, 1965. (4 collections with a 20-foot seine, 6 feet deep with %-inch mesh.) Species Number Size Range in Inches Gizzard shad 14 3-6 Bluegill 2 5-3 Longear sunfish 3 3 Largemouth bass 7 23-34 Logperch 6 2-4 Total 32 --- Page 9 --- Table 7. Results of Four Gill Nets Set in Oak Creek Reservoir on July 9, 1965. Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Average Species Number _by No. Pounds Pounds by Wt. Rt Gizzard shad 37 33.94 7.98 222 15.96 1.98 Carp 32 29.36 22.07 69 44,15 2.65 River carpsucker 11 10.09 13.67 1.24 27.34 2.75 Channel catfish 1 292 1.56 1.56 3.12 2.20 Warmouth 1 91 20 -20 40 4,20 Bluegill 21 19.27 1.75 - 08 3.50 4,11 Largemouth bass 2 1.84 1.78 » 89 3.56 2298 White crappie 4 3.67 98 225 1.97 2.68 Totals 109 100.00 49.99 100.00 Table 8. Results of 14 Seining Collections From New Winters Lake On May 6, 1965, August 17, 1965 and September 28, 1965. (8 collections with a 20-foot straight seine, 6 feet deep with %- inch mesh. ) (4 collections with a 100-foot straight seine, 8 feet deep with 4- inch mesh. ) (2 collections with a 100-foot straight seine, 8 feet deep with 1- inch mesh; ) Species Number Size Range in Inches _ Gizzard shad 361 3-84 Carp 1 6 Golden shiner 38 1-3 Red shiner 405 4-3 Fathead minnow 14 2 Mosquitofish 169 L=-3 Green sunfish 14 1-3 Orangespotted sunfish 18 1-3 Bluegill A411 4-3 Longear sunfish 31 14-5 Redear sunfish 4 5-7 Laigemouth bass 41 25-11 White crappie 39 5-9 Total 1546 --- Page 10 --- Table 9. Results of Ten Gill Nets Set in New Winters Lake on May 6 and August 18, 1965. Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Average Species Number _by No. Pounds Pounds by _Wt. Mitt Gizzard shad 3 1.52 ef2 224 044 1.84 Carp 51 25.89 86.22 1.69 53.34 2.94 River carpsucker 1 00 1.25 1.25 of7 3420 Black bullhead 75 38.07 52.11 69 32,24 3.21 Channel catfish 17 8.63 6.64 939 4.11 1.92 Flathead catfish 1 51 7.12 7.12 4.41 1.94 Warmouth 9 4.57 «91 210 256 4,42 Green sunfish 21 10.66 2.07 210 1.28 4,09 Orangespotted sunfish 2 1.02 12 - 06 207 3.21 Bluegill 3 1.52 ~54 218 034 5.20 Longear sunfish 2 1.01 222 ell 213 5.35 Largemouth bass 7 3.56 1.92 sel 1.19 2.24 White crappie 5 2.54 1.80 236 I.12 3431 Totals 197 100.00 161.64 100.00 Table 10. Results of Six Gill Nets Set in Lake Nasworthy on April 27, 1965. Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Average Species Number __by No. Pounds Pounds by Wt. un Gizzard shad 3 3.03 1.24 41 1.30 1.94 Carp 5 5.05 13.08 2.62 13.78 Zell Golden shiner 3 3.03 +30 217 253 1.98 Black bullhead 14 14.14 18.92 1.35 19.93 3.06 Channel catfish 5 5.05 7.05 1.41 7.43 1.92 Flathead catfish 1 1.01 32.00 32.00 33.71 2545 Warmouth 3 3.03 al -10 233 3.81 Green sunfish 15 15.15 2.26 o1l5 2.38 3.054 Bluegill 29 29.29 5.29 18 5.57 4.51 Longear sunfish 4 4.04 290 223 295 5.26 Redegy sunfish 4 4.04 239 10 o41 3.55 Lacgemouth bass 12 12.12 11.98 1.00 12.62 2.49 White crappie 1 1.02 1.00 1.00 1.06 1.63 Totals 99 100.00 94.92 100.00 --- Page 11 --- Table 11. Results of Four Gill Nets Set in Twin Buttes Reservoir on April 30, 1965. Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Average Species Number __by No. Pounds Pounds by Wt. met Longnose gar 2 1.24 5.93 2.96 2.11 242 Gizzard shad 17 10.56 8435 049 2.98 2.26 Carp 69 42.85 240.81 3.49 86.00 2.86 Golden shiner 3 1.87 250 el? ol7 2.40 River carpsucker 4 2.48 6.88 Toe f 2 2.46 3.00 Channel catfish 4 2.49 5.50 1.38 1.96 2.08 White bass 6 3.72 4.40 e73 1.58 3.03 Warmouth 1 62 oll ell 04 3.84 Green sunfish 4 2.49 036 > O9 12 3.94 Bluegill 49 20.43 4.55 . 09 1.63 4.43 Largemouth bass 2 1.25 2.65 1.33 295 2.87 Totals 161 100.00 280.04 100.00 Discussion: The stocking of hatchery reared fishes in Region I-B is sometimes a matter of conjecture. The person responsible for making stocking recommen- dations must often base his decisions on several factors other than the re- lative abundance of game fish and the current lake levels. Tf a lake with a vast drainage is very low, and the hatchery has an abundance of fish with which something must be done, it is practical to recom- mend stocking, As an example, the water level at Iwin Buttes Reservoir was very low during the segment and this lake has a large watershed. The nearby hatchery had an ample supply of small fish. It was considered a good gamble to stock this reservoir. In such a case, the lake level may continue to decline and the fish are wasted. But sometimes a significant water influx occurs and the new room created is well utilized. One possible resolution for this problem would be to have additional rearing and holding ponds on the hatcheries so that fish would be available at all times of the year. When a lake had an appreciable increase in volume (and more important -- in area) game fish could be immediately stocked. Research could probably be designed to determine if the tnitial costs of pond construction and increased costs of hatchery operation would outweigh the benefits derived from such a program. A closely allied experiment would be to stock larger, but fewer, large- mouth bass and channel catfish in lakes with established fish populations. Research is currently being conducted under the F-7-R project to determine --- Page 12 --- -10- the benefits derived from stocking bass fry and catfish fingerlings in waters saturated with other fish species. Another hindrance encountered in recommending stocking, is our inability to accurately determine the age of fishes in this area. Fingerling large- mouth bass are not always age class zero. Not only must the season of the year, when samples were collected, be considered, but the overall lake pop- ulation must be evaluated to determine if a small bass is young or if it is stunted. The development of a practical technique for appraising the age of individual warmwater fishes would be a worthwhile research project. Dg vere Loobe Prepared by _James F. Wilcox Approved by / 7 Project Leader oordinator Date February 3, 1966 Leo D. Lewis Inland Fisheries Supervisor