Gibbons Creek Reservoir - 2018 Survey Report

Prepared by Mark A. Webb and Alice Best
Inland Fisheries Division - College Station-Houston District

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 Gibbons Creek Reservoir were surveyed in 2019 using electrofishing and gill netting. Historical data are presented with the 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

Gibbons Creek Reservoir is a 2,770-acre impoundment located in the Navasota River Basin in Grimes County, Texas, 14 miles east of College Station, Texas. Impounded in 1981 by Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA), the reservoir was used for power-plant cooling and is now used for recreational purposes. Angler Access consists of a 5-lane boat ramp, bank access and a pier Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approved restrooms are available. Water level has been within 3 feet of spillway elevation since 2017. Habitat features consisted of aquatic plants (both native and nonnative species), standing timber, and rocks.

Management History

Sport fish in Gibbons Creek Reservoir include Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides), Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), Channel Catfish (I. punctatus) and crappie. Largemouth Bass regulations have sought to protect the trophy potential of the population and are currently managed under a 16- to 24-inch slot-length limit and a five-fish daily bag limit, with one fish over 24 inches allowed per angler per day. White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis) and Black Crappie (P. nigromacultaus) have been managed under a 10-inch minimum-length limit with a combined 25-fish daily bag for since 1988. Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish were managed with a 9-inch minimum length limit and 25-fish daily bag until 1995 when the minimum-length limit was increased to12 inches. The use of trotlines, juglines, and throwlines in Gibbons Creek Reservoir is prohibited.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin Shad (Dorosoma pentenense), Gizzard Shad (D. cepedianum), and multiple sunfish species (Lepomis spp.) were present in the reservoir.
• Catfishes: Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish remain available to angler harvest, and anecdotal reports indicate most anglers were successful in catching both catfishes. Flathead Catfish were present in the reservoir.
• Temperate basses: White Bass (Morone chrysops) were not present in Gibbons Creek Reservoir until 2018 when anglers began reporting White Bass catches. White Bass were observed in gill netting and electrofishing surveys for the first time in 2019.
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass are were abundant with legal-size fish available for harvest and many fish in the 16-inch to 24-inch protective slot limit available for catch and release angling. Largemouth Bass growth was good; the average age of 16-inch fish was 3.1 years.
• Crappie: White Crappie and Black Crappie were observed during gill netting and electrofishing surveys.

Management Strategies

• Continue regulating Largemouth Bass harvest with a 16-24-inch slot limit.
• Work with TMPA to keep Gibbons Creek Reservoir open for angling.
• Inform the public about the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species.
• Continue general monitoring with electrofishing in 2022, gill netting in 2023, and annual vegetation and access surveys.

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