Lake Cypress Springs - 2018 Survey Report

Prepared by Margaret H. Stadig and Timothy J. Bister
Inland Fisheries Division - Marshall District

This is the authors' summary from a 22-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 2018 using electrofishing and in 2019 using tandem hoop netting. Historical data are presented with the 2018-2019 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 Cypress Springs is a 3,461-acre impoundment located on Big Cypress Creek in the Cypress River Basin. The reservoir is in Franklin County. Habitat features consist of 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. 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 2018 survey. Bluegill and Gizzard Shad relative abundance has increased since previous surveys. Longear Sunfish and Redear Sunfish were also present in the 2018 survey.
• Catfishes: Tandem hoop nets were used in 2019 to survey the Channel Catfish population and to reduce the mortality of other species normally caught in gill nets. Hoop netting was successful in meeting sampling objectives for the Channel Catfish survey in 2019. Many fish above legal size were collected.
• Black bass: Spotted Bass were more abundant than Largemouth Bass in recent surveys, largely due to the lack of submersed vegetation in the reservoir. Spotted bass up to 16 inches and Largemouth Bass up to 19 inches were collected in 2018.
• Crappie: Both White and Black Crappie were present in the reservoir. White Crappie were more abundant and had fish of larger sizes compared to Black Crappie in the 2019 tandem hoop netting survey.

Management Strategies

Conduct electrofishing in 2020 and 2022 to monitor the black bass community to assess any changes that may require further investigation. Continue to use tandem hoop nets to monitor the Channel Catfish and crappie populations. Conduct annual aquatic vegetation surveys to monitor for the presence of hydrilla and any other invasive species. 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 reestablishment of submersed aquatic vegetation. When aquatic vegetation is at a level that will provide adequate habitat, Florida Largemouth Bass stockings will be requested 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-5 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program