Livingston Reservoir - 2011 Survey Report

Prepared by Michael Homer, Jr. and Mark Webb
Inland Fisheries Division
District 3-E, Bryan, Texas

This is the authors' summary from a 33-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake Livingston were surveyed in 2011 using electrofishing and trap netting and by gill netting in 2012. Anglers were surveyed from June 2011 through May 2012 with a roving creel survey. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Lake Livingston is an 83,277-acre mainstream impoundment on the Trinity River in Trinity, Polk, San Jacinto, and Walker Counties, Texas. Constructed in 1969 by the Trinity River Authority (TRA) and the City of Houston, the reservoir has provided water for municipal, agricultural, and industrial purposes. Private and commercial real estate development, as well as Lake Livingston State Park and several TRA public parks, are present in the lower two-thirds of the reservoir.

Management History

All sport fisheries at Lake Livingston are regulated under statewide length and bag limits with the exception of the bag limit (50 fish/angler/day) for channel and blue catfish. Striped bass fingerlings are stocked annually. The tailrace provides TPWD hatcheries with brood-stock for striped bass and palmetto bass production. Primary management challenges include heavy silt loading and management of the invasive aquatic plants giant salvinia, water hyacinth, and water lettuce. Florida largemouth bass are stocked periodically.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Gizzard and threadfin shad, inland silversides, and bluegill are the predominant prey species in Lake Livingston. Other less numerous prey fishes include longear sunfish, bullhead minnow, green sunfish, warmouth, redear sunfish, and spotted sunfish.
• Catfishes: Blue, channel, and flathead catfishes are present, with blue catfish being the dominant species. Commercial trotlines are allowed on Lake Livingston. Blue and channel catfish are the most sought-after species group by anglers at Lake Livingston.
• Temperate basses: White bass gill net catch rates have decreased since the 2007- 2008 survey, and directed angler effort for white bass has declined. Angler catch and harvest have also declined since the previous survey. Gill net catch rate of striped bass was similar to the 2007-2008 survey. Harvest of striped bass has increased since the previous survey.
• Largemouth bass: Electrofishing catch rates of largemouth bass have been low at Lake Livingston. Degradation of habitat because of heavy silt loading and shoreline bulkhead construction limits the amount of available habitat for spawning and survival of juvenile bass. Directed angler effort, catch, and harvest for largemouth bass has increased since the 2007-2008 survey.
• Crappie: White crappie outnumbered black crappie during previous surveys, but black crappie catch was higher than white crappie catch in 2011. Recent trap net catches of both crappie species have been low but have increased since the 2003-2004 survey.

Management Strategies

Statewide length and bag limits will continue to be used to regulate sport fish harvest. Cooperative efforts with the TRA will continue to address invasive aquatic vegetation issues.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-2 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program