Houston County Reservoir - 2017 Survey Report

Prepared by Todd Driscoll and Dan Ashe
Inland Fisheries Division — Jasper District
Brookeland, Texas

This is the authors' summary from a 29-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Houston County Reservoir were surveyed in 2017-2018 using fall and spring electrofishing. Anglers were surveyed from March through May 2018 with a creel survey. Historical data are presented with the 2017-2018 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

Houston County Reservoir is a 1,523-acre impoundment of Little Elkhart Creek within the Trinity River basin approximately 10 miles northwest of Crockett, Texas. Houston County Reservoir was constructed in 1966 for municipal and industrial purposes, and is managed by Houston County Water Conservation and Improvement District #1. Water level fluctuations average 2-3 feet annually. Habitat consists of standing timber, boat docks, and limited amounts of emergent aquatic vegetation. Most of the land around the reservoir is used for timber production, agriculture, and residential use.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass and crappies. All sport fishes except Largemouth Bass are managed under statewide regulations. Largemouth Bass harvest is regulated by a 14- to 21-inch slot limit and a 5-fish daily bag limit. Florida Largemouth Bass were introduced in the mid-1970s and have been stocked numerous times; the most recent stocking occurred in 2010. Historically, hydrilla has been problematic in the reservoir. In 2009, coverage exceeded 25% of the reservoir surface area. In 2011, hydrilla was treated with herbicide and 745 triploid Grass Carp were stocked. No hydrilla has been observed since 2012. Water hyacinth coverage expanded to 15 acres in 2015, but annual herbicide treatments since 2015 have minimized coverage to trace amounts.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Primary prey species included Threadfin Shad, Bluegill, and Gizzard Shad. Electrofishing catch of Gizzard Shad was high when compared to previous surveys. Bluegill catch was moderate, with most fish < 5 inches in length and available as prey.
• Catfishes: Historically, Channel Catfish and Flathead Catfish were present in the reservoir, but abundances were relatively low. Gill net surveys were discontinued in 2018. Few anglers target catfish at Houston County Reservoir (1% of total fishing effort).
• White Bass: Past surveys indicate White Bass were present in the reservoir, but abundance was low. Gill net surveys were discontinued in 2018. Creel surveys indicate no anglers target White Bass.
• Black basses: Spotted Bass abundance increased over the last three surveys, but few fish were > 12 inches in length. Largemouth Bass were abundant with stable and desirable size structure. In 2018, 86% of anglers targeted black basses. Directed angler effort decreased in 2018 (4.4 h/acre), but average angler catch rate increased (0.7/h). Most legal-length black basses were released (94%). In 2018, a total of 369 fish > 4 pounds were estimated as caught (46 fish > 7 pounds).
• Crappies: Few crappie were collected in historical trap net surveys. Sampling was discontinued in 2017. In 2018, the crappie fishery was the second most popular (13% of total angler effort). Directed effort, angler catch rate, and harvest in 2018 were all lower than the previous creel survey (2006).

Management Strategies

• Continue to manage Largemouth Bass harvest with a 14-21 inch slot limit to maintain angling quality.
• Collect angler catch of trophy Largemouth Bass to justify Florida Largemouth Bass stockings.
• Request annual stockings of Florida Largemouth Bass to maximize trophy fish abundance.
• Deploy plastic fish attractors to augment habitat and increase angling success.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-3 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program