Marine Creek Reservoir - 2022 Survey Report

Prepared by Thomas Hungerford and Cynthia Fox
Inland Fisheries Division - Dallas/Fort Worth District

This is the authors' summary from a 28-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Marine Creek Reservoir were surveyed in 2022 using electrofishing and trap netting. Historical data are presented with the 2022-2023 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

Marine Creek is a 250-acre reservoir located on Marine Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River, in Tarrant County. The reservoir was constructed in 1958 by the Tarrant Regional Water District primarily for flood control and limited recreational activities. Water level data are not available for Marine Creek, but the reservoir rarely experiences major water level fluctuations. Habitat is limited but composed mainly of native emergent aquatic vegetation in the forms of water willow, cattails, bulrush and rocky shoreline.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass, White Bass, White Crappie, and Channel Catfish. Sport fish populations, except Largemouth Bass, are managed with statewide regulations. Marine Creek was a study site for the Operation World Record (OWR) research project. Operation World Record was a project designed to test the growth rates of local Largemouth Bass (LMB), Florida Largemouth Bass (FLMB), and ShareLunker Largemouth Bass (offspring). In 2006 the minimum length limit was changed from the 14-inch statewide minimum to an 18-inch minimum to protect the Largemouth Bass in the OWR project. In 2014, tagged ShareLunker Largemouth Bass and FLMB were stocked as part of phase two of the OWR project, however, recapture rates of tagged bass were low, leading to Marine Creek’s exclusion from OWR data analyses. The 2006-2007 OWR stockings resulted in multiple trophy sized bass being caught by anglers including ShareLunker #577 that weighed 14.57 pounds in 2019. Nearly 14,000 of ShareLunker #577’s offspring were stocked into Marine Creek Lake in 2019. Shoreline emergent vegetation was planted into Marine Creek in 2013 and 2014 but flooding in 2015 prevented establishment and additional growth. In 2017, artificial fish habitat structures were deployed near shore at two locations in Marine Creek Reservoir.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin Shad catch rate was the highest it has been since 2010 but was still lower than the historical average. Electrofishing catch of Gizzard Shad was low, similar to historical catch rates, and few were available as prey to most sport fish. Bluegill catch rate increased since the previous survey, but fewer individuals were over 6-inches long.
• Catfishes: Due to consistently low historical catch rates, catfish populations were not sampled during this survey period. In previous gill netting surveys, only one Blue Catfish and two Flathead Catfish have been collected and Channel Catfish catch rates ranged from 1.3 to 2.6 fish/h.
• White bass: White Bass are present in the reservoir in low numbers. White Bass were not sampled during this survey period.
• Black basses: Electrofishing catch of Largemouth Bass was higher than the 2014 and 2018 surveys and few legal-size fish were available to anglers. Spotted bass catch rates have remained relatively unchanged since 2014. Body conditions of Largemouth Bass and Spotted bass ranged from fair to good among all size classes.
• White Crappie: Total catch rates and numbers of legal-size White Crappie available to anglers have increased since 2014.

Management Strategies

• This reservoir will be monitored with electrofishing and trap netting in 2026.
• Request stockings of Lone Star Bass advanced fingerlings to maintain trophy potential of Largemouth Bass population.
• Collect fin clips from Largemouth Bass to determine genetic influence of ShareLunker and Lone Star Bass stockings.
• Collaborate with Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) to request a Habitat and Angler Access Program grant to improve fish habitat and reduce shoreline erosion in the reservoir.
• Inform the public about the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-5 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program