Lake Winnsboro 2010 Survey Report (PDF 159.6 KB)
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Lake Winnsboro - 2010 Survey Report
Prepared byKevin W. Storey
Inland Fisheries Division
District 3-B,
Tyler, Texas
This is the authors' summary from a 23-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.
Fish populations in Lake Winnsboro were surveyed in 2010 using electrofishing and trap netting and in 2011 using gill netting. Aquatic vegetation and habitat surveys were conducted on Lake Winnsboro during July 2010. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.
Reservoir Description
Lake Winnsboro is a 1,100-acre impoundment located in Wood County, Texas on Big Sandy Creek, a tributary of the Sabine River. It was constructed by Wood County for flood control and recreation. The majority of the lake’s perimeter is natural shoreline, and the major aquatic habitat components are native emergent aquatic species and boat docks and piers. Less than 5% of the shoreline is modified with bulkhead or rocky shoreline.
Management History
Important sport fish include largemouth bass, white crappie, black crappie, and channel catfish. The management plan from the 2006 survey report recommended monitoring the Florida largemouth fishery through biennial electrofishing, conducting genetic analysis to assess Florida largemouth bass allele frequencies, conducting trap netting in 2010 to assess crappie populations, and promoting the lake’s fisheries resources. Florida largemouth bass were stocked in 1998 and 1999.
Fish Community
- Prey species: Electrofishing catch rates of gizzard shad and bluegill were higher than in the past. Both populations were dominated by individuals less than 5 inches in length. Few redear sunfish were collected. Threadfin shad provided additional forage for sport fish in the reservoir. The favorable relative weights of the lake’s sport fish populations are an indicator of the adequacy of the prey fish populations.
- Catfishes: The channel catfish population is of high quality, and over one quarter of the fish collected were larger than the minimum length limit. There is evidence of good natural recruitment, and relative weights are favorable. No blue or flathead catfish were collected during the 2011 survey.
- Largemouth bass: The largemouth bass population exhibited a favorable size distribution indicating a balanced fish population. Body condition and growth rates were good indicating the adequacy of prey populations.
- Crappies: Crappie catch rates in 2010 were low, and all of the fish collected were of legally harvestable size. Black crappie growth rate was slow.
Management Strategies
- Continue to monitor the largemouth bass population using biennial sampling to evaluate the effectiveness of stockings of Florida largemouth bass fingerlings conducted in 1998 and 1999.
- Continue with standard monitoring using gill netting, electrofishing, and optional trap netting surveys in 2014-2015.
- Continue efforts to establish native vegetation to enhance aquatic habitat.
Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-1 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program