Nacogdoches Reservoir - 2020 Survey Report

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

This is the authors' summary from a 32-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake Nacogdoches were surveyed in 2020 using fall electrofishing and in 2019 and 2021 using spring electrofishing. Anglers were surveyed from March through May 2021 with a creel survey. Historical data are presented with the 2017-2021 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 Nacogdoches is located on Loco Bayou, a tributary of the Angelina River in the Neches River basin. The City of Nacogdoches is the controlling authority. Primary uses are municipal water supply and recreation. At conservation pool elevation, Lake Nacogdoches is 2,212 surface acres and has a mean depth of 15 feet. Water level fluctuations average 3 feet annually. Habitat in the lake consists of submerged and emergent aquatic vegetation (mainly hydrilla, American lotus, and torpedograss) and standing timber. Most of the land around the reservoir is utilized for timber production, agriculture, and residential use.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass, White Crappie, and Black Crappie. The 14- to 21-inch slot-length limit for Largemouth Bass (implemented in 1988) was changed to a 16-inch maximum length limit in 2008. Florida Largemouth Bass fingerlings were stocked annually from 2008–2020 (except for 2012-2014) and ShareLunker Largemouth Bass were stocked in 2008 and 2020 to maximize trophy bass potential. Giant salvinia was first discovered in 2018. Since 2019, herbicide treatments and the introduction of giant salvinia weevils have maintained abundance to less than 5 surface acres.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Primary prey species include Threadfin Shad and Bluegill. Both populations were abundant and provided ample forage for sport fish. The majority of Bluegill were less than 5 inches in length and available as prey. Few anglers targeted sunfish; estimated total harvest was 509 Bluegill during the 2021 spring creel survey. Gizzard Shad were also present but catch rates were relatively low.
• Channel Catfish: Historically, abundance of Channel Catfish has been relatively low. Gill net surveys were discontinued in 2016. Few anglers target catfish at Lake Nacogdoches (< 1% of total fishing effort in 2021).
• Black basses: Historically, Spotted Bass have been present, but population abundance has been low. No fish were caught from electrofishing in 2020 or 2021. Largemouth Bass were abundant and numbers of fish greater than 16 inches in length increased. Growth rates were adequate, and fish were in moderate condition. A high-quality Largemouth Bass fishery exists and accounts for most of the angling effort (88%). Directed angler effort increased considerably in 2021, and angler catch rates remained relatively high and stable (range = 1.0 – 1.3/h).
• Crappies: Crappies were an important component of the overall fishery in 2021 (9% total directed effort). Angler catch rate was high (2.3/h) and 8,215 fish were harvested in 2021.

Management Strategies

• Continue to manage Largemouth Bass with a 16-inch maximum length limit.
• Request annual stockings of Florida Largemouth Bass to maximize trophy fish abundance.
• Promote the ShareLunker Program to increase reporting rates of trophy Largemouth Bass catch and justify Florida Largemouth Bass stockings.
• Continue to monitor trends of hydrilla and giant salvinia coverage through annual aquatic vegetation surveys.

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