Effects of the Extent and Duration of Seasonal Flood Pool Inundation on Recruitment of Threadfin Shad, White Crappies, and Largemouth Bass in Hugo Reservoir, Oklahoma

Abstract

AbstractOur objective was to determine the effects of the extent and duration of seasonal flooding (meters above normal pool) on recruitment indices for threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense, white crappies Pomoxis annularis, and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in Hugo Reservoir, Oklahoma. We used simple linear regression to examine the relations between seasonal pool elevation exceedence duration (number of days for which elevation exceeded target values) and (1) mean monthly (June–September) estimates of age‐0 threadfin shad abundance in midwater trawls; (2) white crappie abundance estimates from May and June trawl samples and November trap‐net samples; and (3) fall electrofishing samples of age‐0 largemouth bass. Due to the large number of relations tested, we could not discount the possibility that a significant positive relation between threadfin shad trawl catches in July–September and winter exceedence duration (≥123.8 m) occurred by chance. No relation was found between elevation and age‐0 white crappie catch in trawls or trap nets. Summer exceedence duration (≥123.8 m) was positively related to largemouth bass recruitment. The results of this study indicated that a water level management plan that calls for holding water in the flood pool during summer would enhance recruitment of largemouth bass in Hugo Reservoir.