Lake Cypress Springs - 2010 Survey Report

Prepared by Timothy J. Bister
Inland Fisheries Division
District 3-A, Marshall, Texas

This is the authors' summary from a 26-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake Cypress Springs were surveyed in 2010 using electrofishing and trap netting and in 2011 using gill netting. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Lake Cypress Springs is a 3,461-acre impoundment located on Big Cypress Creek in the Cypress River Basin. The lake is located in Franklin County. Habitat features consist of standing timber, bulkhead, boat docks, rocky shoreline, riprap, and limited aquatic vegetation.

Management History

Important sport fish include channel catfish, largemouth bass, and crappie. All sport fish at Lake Cypress Springs have historically been managed with statewide harvest regulations. Florida largemouth bass were stocked in this reservoir in 1980 and 1992 to improve the quality of the largemouth bass fishery. These initial stockings were successful in establishing the Florida largemouth bass genetics in the population. Hydrilla, first discovered in the reservoir in the 1970s, has been absent since 2007. Triploid grass carp were stocked in 1997 and 2006 to control hydrilla. Additionally, a native aquatic plant restoration project was initiated by Franklin County Water District in 2003 to increase plant diversity and provide additional habitat. Environmental conditions and grass carp herbivory have resulted in unstable submersed aquatic plant coverage in the reservoir.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin shad were present in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch rate of gizzard shad was higher than previous surveys with half available as prey to most sport fish. Bluegill and redear sunfish were also available as prey.
• Catfishes: The channel catfish population had many fish above legal length and provided excellent angling opportunities. One large blue catfish was collected during the 2011 gill netting survey.
• White bass: White bass were present, but suitable spawning habitat limits their numbers
  in the reservoir.
• Black bass: The spotted bass population has increased in the reservoir over the last several years. The abundance of largemouth bass has declined and is likely related to the lack of vegetation. Largemouth bass growth was slower than previous years.
• Crappie: Both white and black crappie were present in the reservoir. Very few crappie have been collected during trap netting surveys. However, previous angler survey data indicated an excellent crappie fishery.

Management Strategies

• Conduct electrofishing surveys every other year beginning in 2012, and general monitoring with gill nets in 2015. An angler creel survey is scheduled from June 2014 through May 2015 to monitor angling effort and catch rates.
• Aquatic vegetation surveys will be conducted annually to monitor hydrilla coverage. Technical guidance will be given to the controlling authority regarding an integrated approach to invasive aquatic vegetation management when applicable. Vegetation surveys will also help monitor the return of submersed aquatic vegetation for the opportunity to stock Florida largemouth bass to enhance the quality and trophy potential of the fishery.
• All sport fish will continue to be managed under statewide harvest regulations.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-1 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program