Lake Somerville - 2016 Survey Report

Prepared by Niki Ragan and Mark Webb
Inland Fisheries Division
College Station/Houston District, Snook, Texas

This is the authors' summary from a 42-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake Somerville were surveyed in 2016 using electrofishing and in 2017 using gill netting. Anglers were surveyed from March 2014 through February 2015 with a creel survey. Historical data are presented with the 2016-2017 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

Lake Somerville is an 11,456-acre flood-control reservoir constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Yegua Creek in Burleson, Lee, and Washington Counties, Texas. Principle tributaries are Middle Yegua, West Yegua, and Nails Creeks. Lake Somerville has a drainage area of approximately 1,006 square miles and a shoreline length of 104 miles.

Management History

Important sport fishes include White Bass, Palmetto Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Crappie, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, and Blue Catfish. Annual stockings of Palmetto Bass were conducted until 2015 when Lake Somerville was removed from the Palmetto Bass stocking program. Due to the receipt of 85 emails, 11 phone calls, and one hand written letter from concerned Hybrid Striped Bass anglers in July and August of 2016, Somerville was stocked with Palmetto Bass and Sunshine Bass in 2017. Hydrilla and water hyacinth have been introduced and treated in the lake.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin Shad and Gizzard Shad were the predominant prey species in Lake Somerville and most were available as prey. Bluegill and Longear Sunfish were the most common sunfish prey. Other less important prey species included Golden Shiner, Inland Silverside, Brook Silverside, Warmouth, Redear Sunfish and Bigscale Logperch.
• Catfishes: Channel Catfish were the dominant catfish species, offering good angling opportunities. Blue Catfish, although less numerous, also support a fishery. According to the most recent creel survey, catfishes (along with temperate basses) were the second-most targeted species group at Lake Somerville.
• Temperate basses: White Bass and Palmetto Bass were both present in Lake Somerville. Palmetto Bass were stocked annually when available with the exception of 2015 and 2016. According to the most recent creel survey, temperate basses were also the second-most targeted species group (along with catfishes) at Lake Somerville, with White Bass comprising 13.1% of total angling effort and Palmetto Bass making up 8.9%.
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass were abundant with a good size distribution available to anglers. The 2014-2015 creel survey indicated that Largemouth Bass were the most popular species among anglers at Lake Somerville.
• Crappie: Both White Crappie and Black Crappie are present in the reservoir with legal-size fish up to 14 inches long harvested by anglers.

Management Strategies

• Request annual stockings of Palmetto Bass and Sunshine Bass.
• Enhance big fish potential of Largemouth Bass with annual stocking of Florida Largemouth Bass and encouraging local anglers to participate in angler recognition programs.
• Aquatic Invasive Species vegetation surveys will be conducted annually to identify potential angler access issues.

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