Lake Bryan - 2021 Survey Report

Prepared by Niki Ragan-Harbison and Alice Best
Inland Fisheries Division - College Station/Houston District

This is the authors' summary from a 32-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake Bryan were surveyed in 2017 and 2018 using electrofishing and gillnetting. Historical data are presented with the 2017 and 2018 data for comparison. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Lake Bryan is a 737-acre reservoir in Brazos County, Texas, built by Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) to provide water for power-plant cooling. The lake has a small 1.97 square mile watershed and water level is maintained by a BTU-owned well resulting in a nutrient-limited reservoir ecosystem and fishery. BTU has worked to increase recreational opportunities and fishery quality since renovating the public park in 2018. The reservoir is located within a public park, and access for both boat and bank angling are excellent. The primary fish habitat is limestone riprap and scattered native emergent vegetation.

Management History

Primary sport fishes in Lake Bryan include Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish, and Channel Catfish. A variety of small sunfish species are also present with Bluegill and Green Sunfish available in high densities along the rip rap serving as the primary prey for sport fish. Sport fish species are managed under statewide length and bag limits.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Bluegill, Green Sunfish, and Longear Sunfish comprised most of the available prey. Threadfin and Gizzard Shad are present in limited numbers. Bluegill were the most abundant of the sunfish species, and all were < 7 inches in length.
• Catfish: Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish were both available to anglers at low densities.
• Largemouth Bass: Growth, body condition and size structure of the Largemouth Bass population has moderately improved from previous surveys. Largemouth Bass up to 17 inches were observed in the electrofishing survey with a greater abundance of smaller sized fish than previous surveys. Body condition and growth of Largemouth Bass were good and showed improvement from recent surveys with observed relative weights (Wr range: 90–120) and average age at 14 inches at 2 years. The current lake record Largemouth Bass (8.7 lb, 23.25 inches) was caught in November 2021. Thirty seven percent of anglers targeted black basses.
• Crappie: Both White Crappie and Black Crappie are present in Lake Bryan and were observed during the spring creel survey. Crappies were targeted by 19% of anglers.
• Red Drum: Red Drum were stocked annually from 2015–2020. The stockings were unsuccessful, presumably due to limited forage for juvenile life stages.

Management Strategies

Increase feeding and refuge habitat by planting native aquatic plants in shallow parts of the reservoir to improve prey base and sportfish growth. Use straw or hay bales to protect young plants from wave action and increase nutrient input to the system in the form of detritus. Stock Largemouth Bass and catfishes if there is evidence of increased abundance of prey species after the electrofishing survey in 2023.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-3 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program