Palo Pinto Reservoir - 2023 Survey Report

Prepared by Wes Duter
Inland Fisheries Division – Wichita Falls District

This is the authors' summary from a 30-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Palo Pinto Reservoir were surveyed in 2022 using gill netting. Historical data are presented with the 2022 data for comparison. This report summarizes the results of the survey and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Palo Pinto Reservoir is a 2,399-acre impoundment located in Palo Pinto County on Palo Pinto Creek in the Brazos River Basin approximately 80 miles west of Fort Worth. It was constructed in 1964 to provide municipal water for Mineral Wells, Texas, and cooling water for the Brazos Electric power plant. It has a primarily rocky shoreline with boat docks and standing timber as dominant habitat features. Palo Pinto Reservoir is considered eutrophic with a Carlson’s Trophic State Index Chl α of 53.24 which is higher than the previous sample (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 2022). As of June 2024, all public boat accesses were available following a low water period.  Periodic turbidity, fluctuating water levels, and rocky substrate inhibit the growth of most aquatic vegetation. Water level stayed over eight feet below conservation pool through the sampling season and cut off boat access.

Management History

Important sport fishes include White Bass, hybrid striped bass, Largemouth Bass, White Crappie, and catfishes. The management plan from the 2019 survey report included stocking hybrid striped bass at 15 fish/acre every year. The hatchery system replaced Palmetto Bass with Sunshine Bass after 2020. Thus, Sunshine Bass fry were stocked in 2020 and fingerlings stocked in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Florida Largemouth Bass were last stocked in 2016 in response to the reservoir filling up after a prolonged drought period.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Gizzard Shad and Bluegill were present in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch rate of Bluegill was average, but very few Bluegill over 6-inches long were collected.  
• Catfishes: Blue Catfish catch rate was near the historical average with good body condition and size structure. Channel Catfish were sampled for the first time since 2012, at a low relative abundance.
• Temperate basses: White Bass abundance remained the same, while hybrid striped bass abundance increased from previous surveys. Both species provide legal length specimens.
• Largemouth Bass:: Largemouth Bass were present in reservoir. A lunker class Largemouth Bass was entered into the TPWD Toyota ShareLunker program in 2024.
• White Crappie:White Crappie were present in the reservoir.

Management Strategies

• Conduct an electrofishing and gill netting survey during the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025, respectively.
• Monitor the construction progress of Turkey Peak Reservoir.
• Stock hybrid striped bass fingerlings annually to maintain the fishery.
• Monitor the fisheries populations with electrofishing, trap and gill netting in 2027-2028.

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