Purtis Creek State Park Lake - 2020 Survey Report

Prepared by David R. Smith, Quintin Dean, and Jake Norman
Inland Fisheries Division
Tyler South District, Texas

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 Purtis Creek State Park Lake were surveyed in 2018 using electrofishing and in 2020 using hoop netting, trap netting, and electrofishing. An aquatic vegetation survey was conducted in the summer of 2020. Historical data are presented with the 2018–2020 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

Purtis Creek State Park Lake is a 349-acre impoundment located on Purtis Creek in the Trinity River Basin approximately 4 miles north of Eustace, Texas. The impoundment was constructed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 1985 for recreation. Boat and bank access are both good and the park maintains two handicap-accessible fishing piers. Habitat features consist of standing timber, rocks, and native submersed and emergent aquatic plants.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass, White Crappie, and Channel Catfish. Recent management activities included changing the catch-and-release regulation for Largemouth Bass to a 16-inch maximum length limit with exemptions for ShareLunker Program entry, stocking Channel Catfish when fingerlings are available, monitoring the littoral habitat biennially, and improving bank angler successes around the two fishing piers. Efforts were also made to establish desirable native species of aquatic vegetation.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin Shad were abundant in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch of Gizzard Shad was moderate with 60% of Gizzard Shad available as prey to most sport fish. Electrofishing catch of Bluegill was moderate with over half of the Bluegill caught less than five inches long.
  
• Channel Catfish: Channel Catfish recruitment has historically been impacted in the reservoir from limited spawning habitat and Largemouth Bass predation. Channel Catfish catch rates in 2020 were better than previous years; however, abundance of Channel Catfish in the reservoir remains at a low level.
  
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass body condition was good; however, catch rates of the species declined in 2018 and 2020 surveys. This decline highlights the limited aquatic vegetation and littoral habitat that exists in the reservoir.
  
• White Crappie: White Crappie remain moderately abundant, display adequate growth, and exhibit good body condition.

Management Strategies

• Inform the public about the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species.
• Attempt to improve Channel Catfish natural reproduction through the addition of catfish spawning boxes.
• Install green lights around both fishing piers to improve angling opportunities at night. Improve habitat through the application of artificial shoreline habitats.
• Continue to manage Largemouth Bass with a 16-inch maximum length limit and all other species under the statewide Community Fishing Lake (CFL) 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