Millers Creek Reservoir - 2015 Survey Report

Prepared by Robert Mauk and Tom Lang
Inland Fisheries Division – Wichita Falls 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 Millers Creek Reservoir were surveyed in 2015 using electrofishing and trap netting and in 2016 using gill netting. Historical data are presented with the 2015-2016 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

Millers Creek is a 1,794-acre impoundment located in Baylor County on Millers Creek in the Brazos River Basin approximately 77 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, Texas. The reservoir was completed in 1974 and is owned and operated by the North Central Texas Municipal Water Authority in Munday, Texas. At the time of the habitat survey the reservoir was slightly above capacity and the shoreline habitat consisted of natural and rocky shoreline. Shoreline and boat access are adequate, including limited handicapped access at normal pool elevations.

Management History

Important sport fish include catfish, White Bass, Palmetto Bass, Largemouth Bass, and White Crappie. Palmetto Bass and Florida Largemouth Bass were last stocked in 2016. Millers Creek has always been managed with statewide regulations.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Gizzard Shad catch rate was lower than average for the reservoir but the percentage available to predators slightly increased over the previous survey. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) for Bluegill was the lowest ever documented. Overall, there is ample available prey in the reservoir.
• Catfishes: Blue Catfish were well represented in the gill net survey of 2016, and CPUE was near the historical average. Body condition was slightly improved from the previous two surveys. The Channel Catfish CPUE was at its lowest. While no Flathead Catfish caught in the 2016 gill net survey, they have historically been present and anglers report catching them.
• White Bass: White Bass CPUE increased compared to the last two surveys and was the second highest recorded during random sampling. Body condition was also better compared to the two previous surveys.
• Palmetto Bass: Palmetto Bass CPUE decreased from the two previous surveys and was the lowest CPUE recorded for the reservoir since 1997 random sampling began. Body condition was good.
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth bass had a slightly increased electrofishing catch rate compared to the previous survey and was near the historical average for the reservoir. Body condition of legal sized bass is considered good and there was a high number of legal sized bass sampled compared to previous surveys. There was however; few small bass sampled indicating the species had poor recruitment in 2011.
• White Crappie: The 2015 CPUE was the highest ever. Legal-length crappie had body conditions that were considered to be very good. Most crappie sampled were young fish, probably from the 2015 spawn.

Management Strategies

Millers Creek is recognized by anglers as an excellent reservoir for catfish, palmetto bass, largemouth bass, and white crappie and should be promoted to increase angler effort, especially to anglers from around Lubbock. An abundant gizzard shad population exists, so palmetto bass stockings should be requested annually.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-6 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program