Lake O' the Pines - 2018 Survey Report

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

This is the authors' summary from a 36-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake O’ the Pines were surveyed in 2018 using electrofishing and dual-cod hoop nets and in 2019 using low-pulse electrofishing and tandem hoop nets. Anglers were surveyed from June 2018 through May 2019 with a creel survey. Historical data are presented with the 2018-2019 data for comparison. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a fisheries management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Lake O’ the Pines is a 16,269-acre reservoir located on Big Cypress Creek which was constructed in 1956 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for flood control, municipal and industrial water supply, and public recreation. Habitat features consisted of inundated timber, brush, creek channels, and riprap. Native aquatic vegetation covered about 3% of the reservoir in 2018, while non-native invasive species (i.e. hydrilla, water hyacinth, and giant salivina) accounted for 1.5% of the reservoir surface.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, sunfish, and crappie. All fish species except for crappie are currently managed under statewide harvest regulations. From 1 December until the last day of February, anglers are required to keep the first 25 crappie they catch each day regardless of size to minimize excess mortality due to fish being caught in deep water.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin Shad were present in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch of Gizzard Shad has increased over the last few surveys with many being available as prey to most sport fish. The relative abundance of Bluegill was high providing good forage for sport fish.
• Catfishes: An increase in Channel Catfish greater than 12 inches was observed in tandem hoop nets since 2015. Low frequency electrofishing was conducted to survey Flathead Catfish, but none were collected.
• White Bass: White Bass catch rates in gill nets have historically been indicating low relative abundance. Few anglers have been documented targeting White Bass during previous creel surveys, and no direct angling pressure was observed this year. While fish can be caught during their spawning run, only a negligible fishery exists for them during the remainder of the year. Therefore they were not sampled in 2018/2019.
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass were abundant in 2018 with an increase in both small (<8 inches) and stock-sized (>8 inches) fish compared to previous years. Fifty percent of targeted angling effort was directed towards Largemouth Bass in the 2018/2019 creel survey.
• Crappie: Historically, crappie catches in standard trap nets were poor. In 2018, crappie were surveyed using dual-cod hoop nets and in 2019 with tandem hoop nets. The dual-cod nets caught more crappie than tandem hoop nets and their use may warrant further investigation. Crappie were the second highest targeted species by anglers during the 2018/2019 creel survey.

Management Strategies

• We will request Florida Largemouth Bass stocking every other year.
• Additionally, electrofishing surveys in 2020 and 2022 will be used to monitor Largemouth Bass and prey fish populations.
• We will continue to assess the feasibility and practicality of using Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) dual-cod hoop nets for sampling crappie.
• Tandem hoop netting for Channel Catfish and low frequency electrofishing for Flathead Catfish will be conducted in 2022.
• Finally, annual vegetation surveys will be conducted to monitor invasive plant species.

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