Brownwood Reservoir - 2008 Survey Report

Prepared by Spencer Dumont and Ben Neely
Inland Fisheries Division
District 1-B, Abilene, Texas

This is the authors' summary from a 27-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Brownwood Reservoir were surveyed in 2008 using electrofishing and trap nets and in 2009 using gill nets. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Brownwood Reservoir is a 7,300-acre impoundment located on Pecan Bayou in the Colorado River Basin approximately 70 miles southeast of Abilene. It was constructed in 1933 as a municipal water supply and is controlled by the Brown County Water Control and Irrigation District No. 1. Watershed land use was primarily agriculture, residential, and ranching. The reservoir was 4-5 ft. below spillway level at time of sampling.

Management History

Palmetto bass were regularly stocked from the 1980s through the mid-1990s before being discontinued because of lack of directed fishing effort and insufficient numbers of palmetto bass available from state hatcheries. Largemouth bass were managed with a 16-inch minimum length limit (MLL) from 1 September 1993 to 1 September 1999. Blue catfish were stocked in 2007 to improve catfish populations and fisheries.

Habitat

Brownwood Reservoir was rocky, with many boat docks and some standing timber, aquatic vegetation, and brush.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Forage consisted primarily of shad and bluegill. There appeared to be enough forage to support sport fish populations.
• Catfishes: Several blue catfish from the 2007 stocking were collected in 2009. Channel catfish were present in moderate numbers with excellent sizes of fish available to anglers. Flathead catfish continued to be present.
• Temperate basses: Numbers and sizes of white bass available to anglers were excellent. No palmetto bass were collected and few likely remain in the reservoir.
• Largemouth bass: Largemouth bass were thin and plentiful. Few larger fish were available to anglers. Florida-strain largemouth bass were well established.
• White crappie: White crappie abundance was high, and 30% of adult crappie were legal size or longer. Many sub-legal sized crappie should be legal size in 2010 and 2011 undernormal growing conditions.

Management Strategies

Monitor blue catfish to determine if a self-sustaining population develops. Stock blue catfish fingerlings in 2010 at 50 fish/acre.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-30-R-34 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program