Gladewater City Lake - 2009 Survey Report

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

This is the authors' summary from a 25-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Gladewater City Lake were surveyed in 2009 using electrofishing and trap netting and in 2010 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

Gladewater City Lake is a 481-acre reservoir on Glade Creek, and was constructed in 1953 by the City of Gladewater for use as municipal and industrial water supply. Habitat features consisted of inundated timber, brush, creek channels, and riprap. The lake has a history of limited aquatic vegetation. Water hyacinth, a non-native invasive plant, was detected at the reservoir in 2005. Periodic herbicide treatments have prevented the spread of water hyacinth in the reservoir.

Management History

Important sport fish include largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, and crappie. TPWD Inland Fisheries District 3A staff stocked threadfin shad in 2008 to improve the prey fish community. Even though the largemouth bass population has not met the requirements for Florida largemouth bass stocking by TPWD, the City of Gladewater has purchased (from a private fish retailer) and stocked the reservoir with 15,000 pure Florida largemouth bass fingerlings each of the past three years.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin shad continued to be present in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch of gizzard shad was higher than the previous survey but few fish were small enough to be available as prey to most sport fish. Bluegill catch was lower in 2009 than in the previous two surveys, but are still adequate as prey to most sport fish. Redear sunfish serve as an additional prey source for predators and also grow to sizes desirable to anglers.
• Catfishes: The channel catfish population contains many fish above legal size and provides good angling opportunities. Gill net catch rates of channel catfish were higher in 2010 than the previous survey.
• Temperate basses: No white bass were collected by gill nets in 2010. This reservoir has never contained white bass, but yellow bass were present.
• Black basses: Largemouth bass electrofishing catch rates were lower in 2009 than previous surveys. Growth of largemouth bass in this reservoir is good. Fish reach the 14-inch minimum length limit in an average of 2.9 years. Largemouth bass were collected to 20 inches and body condition was good. Spotted bass abundance was higher in 2009 than previous years. These fish provide additional angling opportunities.
• Crappie: White crappie catch rates in trap nets have increased since 2001. The average age of 10-inch white crappie was 2 years, which indicates good growth. Black crappie were also present, but not as abundant as white crappie.

Management Strategies

Conduct water hyacinth surveys annually from 2010-2013. Conduct general monitoring with trap netting, electrofishing, and aquatic vegetation surveys in 2013 and gill netting in 2014.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-30-R-35 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program