Pat Mayse Reservoir - 2020 Survey Report

Prepared by Quintin Dean, David R. Smith, and Jake Norman
Inland Fisheries Division
Tyler North District, 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 Pat Mayse Reservoir were surveyed in 2020 using electrofishing and in 2021 using gill netting. Access and aquatic vegetation surveys were conducted in August 2020. Historical data are presented with the 2020-2021 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

Pat Mayse Reservoir is a 5,940-acre impoundment located in Lamar County, Texas, on Sanders Creek, a tributary of the Red River. It was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1967 for flood control, and as a municipal and industrial water supply. Pat Mayse was eutrophic with a mean TSI chl-a of 58.28 (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 2020). Aquatic vegetation coverage was less than 1% of reservoir surface area and was composed of native emergent species. Although hydrilla has been reported in the past, none was observed during the summer 2020 vegetation survey.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass, crappie, Channel Catfish and White Bass. A creel survey was last conducted at the reservoir from 1998 to 2000 with a spring quarter creel conducted each year. Information from those creels resulted in terminating the stocking of Palmetto Bass because of low directed effort. The fisheries management plan from the 2016 survey report recommended re-initiating stocking of Florida Largemouth Bass and monitoring the Largemouth Bass population every four years through fall electrofishing.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Clupeid (Threadfin and Gizzard Shad) and sunfish populations provide the major prey species for sport fish populations. Body conditions of Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish and White Bass indicate availability of adequate prey fish populations.
  
• Catfishes: Channel Catfish remained abundant in the reservoir, and numerous fish over 20-inches were collected in the 2021 gill net survey. The results of the last three surveys suggest a stable population with consistent recruitment to legal size. The relative abundance and size structure of Channel Catfish suggest the potential to develop a quality fishery.
  
• Temperate basses: White Bass populations have been subject to periodic fish kills and subsequent reductions in abundance. However, the 2021 White Bass gill net catch rate suggested an increase in White Bass from 2017.
  
• Black basses: Catch rate of Largemouth Bass in the most recent sample suggests a stable population that is dominated by fish below the minimum length limit. However, catch rates of legal-size fish continue to gradually increase and growth to legal harvest length was desirable. Historically, Spotted Bass have been present in the reservoir, but none have been collected during the last two electrofishing surveys (2016 and 2020).
  
• Crappie: Although White Crappie and Black Crappie are present in the reservoir, no sampling was conducted for these species in 2020 due to low and variable catch rates in previous surveys.

Management Strategies

Continued biennial stocking of Florida Largemouth Bass in 2022 and 2024, promote Channel Catfish fishery, improve littoral habitat through deploying natural fish habitat and planting native aquatic vegetation. Continue to manage all sportfish under statewide harvest regulations.

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