Inland Silversides - Menidia beryllina. This is a fish of coastal waters and brackish estuaries which has been introduced into many lakes as food for larger species. It reaches a length of about six inches.

Black Bullhead Minnow - Pimephales vigilax - Ranging from Minnesota and West Virginia to Alabama and Texas, this three-inch long minnow is dusky yellowish above and silvery below with a dark lateral band and a dark spot on the first four dal rays and a tiny dark spot at the base of the caudal fin.

Plains Minnow - Hybognathus placidus Found from Montana and North Dakota south to Texas and New Mexico, this is one of the most common fishes of the Great Plains.

Golden Shiner - Notemigonus chrysoleucas - Common east of the Rockies and introduced westward, this large "minnow" reaches ten inches in length. It does well in lakes and sluggish ponds.

Red Shiner - Notropis lutrensis - Found from Wyoming to Minnesota and Illinois and south to Mexico. About three inches long.

Arkansas River Shiner - Notropis girardi. Found only in the Arkansas River and its tributaries. Now rare or extinct in the main Arkansas and found in the South Canadian River only, though it has been introduced into the headwaters of the Pecos River in New Mexico. Reaches a length of two inches.

Speckled Chub - Hybopsis aestivalis - Found only in the Arkansas River and its tributaries. This fish is becoming more restricted in range and may be placed on the rare and endangered species list.

Walleye - Stizostedon vitreum - Also known as Pikeperch, this fish is found naturally in the Tennessee River drainage and northward from there to Great Slave Lake in Canada, but has been widely introduced in lakes across the country. Lake Meredith was the first lake where Walleye were introduced in Texas, and they have done well here. Reaches a length of about three feet.

Logperch - Percina caprodes - This perch ranges from Minnesota and Vermont south to Mississippi and Texas. It reaches a length of six inches.

Smallmouth Bass - Micropterus dolomieu - Though slightly less common than the Largemouth bass, this fish has reached record lengths in Lake Meredith which holds the state record.

Largemouth Bass - Micropterus salmoides - At an average of two to four pounds, and lengths of around 18 inches, this is a large fish which feeds on smaller fish and insects. It is common in man-made lakes, where it breeds in weedy areas or in areas of drowned vegetation. Found from Canada to Florida and Texas. A lake with too many bluegill will have fewer bass, since the bluegill like to feed on bass eggs. The female will move from her normal feeding area, perhaps quite a distance to find a suitable spot for spawning. She will hang out in deeper water nearby, until it is time to spawn and then move into shallow water, preferably weedy or choked with drowned brush. They may return to the same area to spawn year after year if the lake level remains relatively constant.

Male bass spend some time in selecting just the right spot to set up an attractive area for the female. A good spawning site will have firm bottoms, and may be sandy, silty, or even rocky, so long as there is no deep silt or mud on the site. The beds are in one to four feet of water and if possible in a weedy spot. If no weedy cover is available, they will select a protected site where there are submerged logs or large dolomite boulders. The spawning beds are usually at least 30 feet apart, since the males are territorial and will select a site where they cannot see other males.

Spawning occurs in the spring when the water temperature reaches about 63 degrees, but spawning can be interrupted if a cold front lowers the water temperature. The female lays from 2000 to 7000 small round eggs per pound of body weight. These may be in the nest of a single male, or may be distributed among several nests in an area.

As the temperature warms up, the eggs begin to hatch, taking five days to hatch in 67 degrees, but only two days at 72 degrees. If the temperature in the shallows drops to 50, it may take up to 13 days for the fry to hatch, and if a sudden cold snap comes in, the males may abandon the nest site all together, and the hatch will be lost.

Bass fingerlings hide in weedy or other sheltered areas of the lake, where they feed on tiny insects, mites, baby crayfish, or other minute animal life. As the lake drops, when inflow is low, the fry have no place to hide, and fishing becomes poor. When the lake rises, it covers weedy or woody-brush areas, and the fingerlings have a better chance.

As they grow, they have fewer predators. Small bass are preyed on by kingfishers, gulls, terns, otters, foxes, coyotes, and other small predators. Dragon fly nymphs will take some fry, and giant water bugs will take bass up to six inches in length. Larger bass have fewer enemies, but such things as ospreys, eagles, large hawks, cormorants, grebes, mergansers, egrets, and great blue herons take a toll even on the largest bass.

White Crappie - Pomoxis annularis - This species ranges from New York and New England south to the Mississippi River and its tributaries from the Dakotas to Texas. In the late winter and early spring, crappie are full of roe, that is eggs and sperm. This is often considered a treat by fish connoisseurs. Crappie spawn in early spring, and may continue until May. When the females comes into the shallows to spawn, they may remain on the bank for an hour or two and spawn out about 20 percent of the potential eggs for the season. Then the females move out into deeper water and the males move in to fertilize the eggs. The female will return three or four more times before being spawned out. After spawning, the crappie move out into the lake and disperse. In fishing for crappie after spawning, you would fish on ledges and off the points, where the crappie often rest.

Black Crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus - This species ranges from New Jersey and the Great Lakes south to Texas. It may reach twelve inches in length. It is a favorite game fish of many anglers in Lake Meredith.

Sand Bass, White Bass - Roccus chrysops - Native from Minnesota and the Great Lakes Drainage south to Alabama and Texas.

Bluegill Sunfish - Lepomis macrochirus - Native from Minnesota and New York south to Florida and Texas. This is one of our most popular panfish, reaching a length of over ten inches. They are basic insect feeders, but may be a pest if you are fishing for bass, since they feed on eggs of other fishes.

Green Sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus - Our smallest sunfish reaching only six inches in length. It ranges in the central part of the country in ponds and streams from the Great Lakes region to Mexico east of the Alleghenies.

Warmouth - Chaenobryttus coronarius - This panfish gets up to ten inches in length. It ranges from Minnesota and the region of the Great Lakes south to Florida and Texas.

Longear Sunfish - Lepomis megalotis - Smaller than the Warmouth, this sunfish reaches eight inches in length. It ranges from Canada to South Carolina and Texas.

Yellow Perch - Perca flavescens -

Rainbow Trout - Salmo gairdneri - This western fish is often found in fast-flowing mountain streams, but also goes into the ocean at times. It has been introduced in the Stilling Basin at lake Meredith as a game fish. Though it may reach 35 inches in length and thirty pounds in length, most examples from Lake Meredith seldom exceed a foot in length.

Channel Catfish - Ictalurus punctatus - This fish reaches twenty five pounds or larger in Texas and is commonly found in large rivers. It is found from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico. Catfish are all similar in their diets, that is to say that they are not selective in their prey, but will feed on shad, minnows, bream, other small fish, insect larvae, freshwater mussels, worms, leeches, frogs, and dead matter on the bottom. "Mr. Whiskers" finds his food using over 100,000 food sensors located across his body, with the largest number being in the barbels or whiskers located around the mouth. It finds food by fanning the bottom with it’s whiskers and then following the resulting odor trail or sensing movement of prey. The channel catfish also uses sight to locate prey. Catfish spawn at temperatures between 60 and 84 degrees, but the channel catfish will spawn earlier than the blue, so may spawn in late March or April while the blue may not spawn until May. Different species will lay differing numbers of eggs per season, ranging from as few as 2000 in some of the smaller species to 90,000 for larger species and individuals. Channel catfish will spawn only once a year, while bullheads may reproduce several times during a season. The bullhead male will aid the female in nest building, but the male channel catfish will select the site and clear it of debris, and then guard the eggs after spawning.

Blue Catfish - Ictalurus furcatus - Similar to the Channel Catfish, this species may reach a weight of fifty pounds. It ranges from Minnesota and Ohio southward to Mexico.

Black Bullhead - Ictalurus melas - This fish is found in mud-bottomed lakes and large rivers and may reach 18 inches in length and eight pounds in weight. It is found in eastern North America to Texas and has been introduced westward.

Flathead Catfish (Yellow Catfish) - Pylodictus olivaris - Found in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, this fish is our largest catfish, sometimes reaching a weight of 100 lbs.

German carp, Mirror Carp - Cyprinus carpio - The two varieties of carp were originally native to Asia, but were introduced into Europe at an early date, and have now been introduced to North America. It is considered a trash species by many people, though it often is boned and eaten. It may reach three and one half feet in length and up to fifty-five pounds in weight. It is a bottom feeder in warm shallow water.

River Carpsucker - Carpoides carpio - Though usually fifteen to twenty inches long, this fish reaches a length of 30 inches at times. It is found in large silty streams and rivers in much of the eastern United States and into Mexico.

Gizzard Shad - Dorosoma cepedianum - This is the only member of the Herring family in Lake Meredith. It ranges from Minnesota and New Jersey south to the Gulf of Mexico and may reach 18 inches in length.

Some Record Weights for Fish

Largemouth bass - 22 lbs 4 oz

Smallmouth bass - 11 lbs 15 oz

White bass - 5 lbs 5 oz

Bluegill - 4 lb 12 oz

Black Bullhead - 8 lbs

Carp - 55 lbs 5 oz

Blue Cat - 97 lbs

Channel Cat - 58 lbs

Flathead Catfish - 79 lbs 8 oz

Yellow Perch - 4 lbs 3 ½ oz

Rainbow Trout - 42 lbs 2 oz

Walleye 25 lbs

Green Sunfish - 2 lbs 2 oz

Red-ear Sunfish - 4 lbs 8 oz

Warmouth - 13 lbs

White Crappie - 5 lbs 3 oz

Record Weights for Texas Fish

Largemouth Bass - 18.18 lbs 25.5 inches long Fork Lake

Smallmouth Bass - 7.93 lbs. 23 inches long Lake Meredith

White Bass - 5.56 lbs 20.75 inches long Colorado River

Black Bullhead 4.02 lbs. 18 inches long Navarro Mills Lake

Carp 25.63 lbs 37 inches long Lake Houston

Blue Catfish - 92 lbs 56 inches long Gibbons Creek Reservoir

Channel Catfish - 36.5 lbs. 38 inches long Pedernales River

Flathead Catfish - 98.5 lbs 53 inches long Lake Palestine

White Crappie - 4.56 lbs Navarro Mills Lake

Bullhead Minnow .01 lbs. 3.13 inches long Lake Whitney

Yellow Perch - 1.04 lbs. 12.5 inches long Lake Meredith

Gizzard Shad - 2.67 lbs 18 inches long Town Lake

Threadfin Shad - 0.13 lbs. 7.63 inches long Richland Chambers Lake

Inland Silverside - 0.02 lbs. 4.25 inches long Benbrook Lake

Green Sunfish 1.22 lbs. 9.29 inches long Tehuacana Creek

Longear Sunfish 0.48 lbs. 7.5 inches long Fork Lake

Red Ear Sunfish 2.99 lbs. 14 inches long Comal River

Rainbow Trout 7.77 lbs 24.0 inches long Guadelupe River

Walleye 11.88 lbs. 31.75 inches long Lake Meredith

Warmouth 1.3 lbs. 10.5 inches long Town Lake

Catfish

Three species of catfish are found at Lake Meredith: channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. All are excellent fish to eat and can be caught easily at certain times. The channel catfish is the most abundant, flatheads are present in good numbers with 30 pounders common, while the blue catfish is somewhat scarce. Most catfish are caught on trotlines or juglines baited with liver, waterdogs, live minnows or cut bait. Flathead and blue catfish prefer large live baits while channel catfish will hit most any bait, occasionally even a slowly fished lure. Heavy line is recommended for landing these strong fish especially since big fish are quite common. Top spots are around Martin’s Canyon and Fritch Fortress but good catches are possible in most areas. Channel catfish weighing more than 20 pounds, flathead catfish up to 50 pounds, and blue catfish up to 40 pounds have been caught by fishermen at Lake Meredith.

Channel Catfish

The southern channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is one of the principal food and game fished, as well as one of the most sought after species. From two to five pounds is about average for the species, though in southern states the 10 to 20 pound channel catfish is sometimes landed.

The channel catfish may be colored dark olive in clear water or almost white in more turbid habitat, and has a deeply forked tail. They like deep, clean water, running streams and rivers. They grow well in farm ponds but often fall far short of reproduction expectancy. They need spawning aids such as kegs, barrels, clay tiles or similar nesting devices.

A night prowler, these fish seek food from almost anything that moves, or that once did move. They like minnows, shad, crayfish, shrimp, both land and aquatic insects, worms, and clams. Sometimes they attempt to catch birds. Frogs, lizards and some dead baits will take them easily.

The notched or forked tail resembles that of the blue catfish; often the colors of the fish are similar. If there is doubt, remember that the channel cat has 24 to 29 rays in the anal fin (the fin on the bottom of the body) while the blue cat has 30 to 35 rays.

Females spawn from April to July in gravel nests scooped out by the males. Often the nest is in a hole in the bank, or in a log or other cavity. After the female spawns, the nest is carefully guarded by the male. Eggs hatch in five to ten days.

Now and then a channel catfish shows a spinal deformity. Mistaken is the idea that this fish has been the victim of an electric shock. Odd and misshapen, the fish was probably the victim of one of a myriad of accidents that may befall any fish. Or possibly it was the victim of a birth deformity.

Best bait to use, according to scores of anglers, is fresh blood from beef. It congeals, and will stay on the hook fairly well in still water. Liver is sometimes used as are chicken hearts and entrails. Many favorite fishing holes are baited with stale cheese to draw in the fish. Minnows and shrimp are good baits, and there are several commercial baits on the market.

Usually these baits are maid of cheese or blood, with flour as a base, plus powdered sugar. With more and more anglers using artificial lures, it’s not uncommon to see a channel cat caught while fishing for other types of fish. The silver spoon, many spinners and deep running lures will take channel catfish, especially when used at night.

Snakes, turtles, raccoons, birds, mink, and several species of fish feed on the channel cat fry, and the greatest period of danger in the channel cat’s life is while it is from 1 to 5 inches long.

History and Habits of Carp

The carp, Cyprinus carpio, had its beginning in Asia, and was transported to Europe where it met a welcome reception. For hundreds of years it was the principal food fish on both continents, and supplied food for millions of hungry mouths.

There are three principal varieties of carp: the normal scaled species, the mirror carp with only a few very large scales, and the leather carp that lost all its scales. The variety most popular in the United States is the scaled carp, commonly called the European carp, having been transported to this country in 1879 from England.

Today the carp is coming into the limelight as a fish that is fun to catch, edible after one becomes accustomed to the taste, and may be fried, baked, barbecued, or canned.

An amazing aspect of the carp’s life is longevity. It is thought not uncommon for the fish to live to an age of 150 to 200 years. In the wild state it is doubtful if it lives for more than 15 years. The logical explanation for this is that the carp does everything very slowly. It wastes no energy, thrives in warm water, picks up food leisurely, and never fears that the supply will run out. If the temperature of the water drops below 50 degrees, the carp sleeps until the temperature reached 59 or higher.

Carp feed on small plants and small animals such as shellfish, insect larvae, worms and grubs. They spawn in May and June, and the female may lay as many as 24,000 eggs per pound of body weight.

Early spring is the best time to fish for carp. Waters are beginning to reflect the warmth of the sun, and the fish move to shallow waters to feed. Schools, more like herds of sheep root around in the shallows and near the shoreline in emergent vegetation. A few kernels of corn tossed into the water, and a few more on a treble hook will tempt the fish into frantic feeding.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass are the most popular fresh water game fish in the southern United States, but are often overlooked at Lake Meredith in favor of more abundant species. Largemouth bass are not very abundant due to the lack of suitable habitat. They are generally found in coves that have vegetation in water 1-10 feet deep. Largemouth bass are aggressive feeders that can be caught easily at certain times and they put up a good fight. Largemouth bass will hit a wide variety of baits and lures, the most popular being spinner baits, plastic worms, crankbaits and a jig-and-pig combination. Heavy tackle is generally used to catch these strong fish in thick cover. Largemouth bass in Lake Meredith generally do not grow to trophy size and 10-12 pound test line is a good choice for most situations with possibly heavier line for fishing around sunken brush. Top spots are South Canyon, Bugbee, North Turkey Creek, Short Creek, Martin’s Canyon and around Harbor Bay.

Largemouth bass generally spawn when the water reaches about 68 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of 1 to 10 feet. The male guards the nest. Females grow to larger sizes than the males. The Florida strain of the largemouth bass has been stocked and is reproducing in the reservoir. The Florida Bass is generally faster growing than the native northern strain. Largemouth bass weighing up to nine pounds have been caught in the reservoir.

Of the names for the largemouth bass, (Micropterus salmoides), the names black bass and largemouth are the ones most often heard. The chief difference between the largemouth bass and the smallmouth bass is the mouth. On the largemouth, the back part of the mouth extends past the eye. On the smallmouth, the mouth stops on a line just about even with the front part of the eye.

Eggs develop in the ovary of the bass in September, and by the following spring they are fully developed. Eggs are laid in April or May. There usually is only one spawn per year, about 6 to 10 thousand eggs at a time. For most successful nesting, the water level should remain constant and the temperature above 60 degrees. These fish prefer a g ravel bottom for the nest, and there is no bed of eggs as in the case of some sunfish. The male guards the nest, agitating the water with his fins to supply oxygen to the organisms and to help decrease carbon dioxide. They prefer water from 6 inches to 4 feet in depth for spawning. If water is muddy the hatch is set back, but this only serves to bring about a later hatch. If everything goes well, a fairly large per cent of the eggs hatch into tiny transparent fry. They will remain in a group and will not swim far from the nest site. The male will continue to watch his young for a few days, herding them from danger in deeper water.

Growth is rapid, and soon the male loses his parental instinct, and often becomes cannibalistic. For the fingerlings, the problems of survival now become acute.

At the end of the second summer the young should be 10 to 11 inches long if sufficient food is available, and they will be sexually mature; however bass fry stocked in new impoundments will reach this size in five months.

As the largemouth grows, it becomes more dependent on other fish as food items, and will eat nearly any other species he encounters. He will also take frogs, birds, crayfish, worms, or shrimp.

Average weight of the largemouth is from 1 to 9 pounds, with large individuals occasionally taken of twelve pounds or more. The world’s record for the largemouth is 22 lbs and 4 ounces, while that of the smallmouth is 14 pounds.

Smallmouth Bass

The preferred habitat of smallmouth bass is clear, cool water with an abundance of gravel and rocky structure. Spawning begins when the water temperature approaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Smallmouth bass spawn in clear water on a gravel bottom in water from 2 to 20 feet in depth.

The most exciting way to catch smallmouths is with a top-water bait, fished early in the morning or late in the evening on calm days. Fish the bait slower than you would for largemouth bass without popping or jerking the bait. Other effective lures are crankbaits or jigs in crawfish patterns, spinnerbaits and shad or minnow imitating crankbaits. Live minnows or crawfish fished slowly in areas with abundant rock structure are extremely effective.

Smallmouth bass put up a terrific fight and they are a very popular gamefish. Since they prefer clear water, anglers should use light line to avoid spooking fish; 4 to 8 pound test is adequate. Although smallmouth bass are found around the entire reservoir, they are most abundant from Martin’s Canyon to the dam on the north side and from Harbor Bay to the dam on the south side. Smallmouth bass exceeding 6 pounds have been caught from the reservoir.

White Bass

White bass (also called sand bass) are abundant in Lake Meredith and when found in a school can fill a stringer. They are very aggressive open water feeders, preying mainly on gizzard shad and other small fish. White bass spawn when water temperature approaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit. White bass spawn in shallow water with a sandy or gravelly bottom.

Since white bass are an open water fish, trolling is a good means of locating a school of fish. Troll slowly over points, drop-offs and rock piles using shad imitation lures. Once a school is found, anglers should remain in that location as many fish can be caught in one area. A common method for catching white bass in the summer is jigging a small ‘slab’ spoon over deep water humps especially around the Blue West and Harbor Bay areas. Most white bass caught at Meredith weigh from one to two pounds.

The White Bass is a fish much sought by anglers at Lake Meredith. It ranges from silvery to almost light green on the back, shading into bright silver on the sides and to silvery white on the belly. It generally has 5 or 6 distinct dark stripes down the side, and is also at times known as striped bass. There are 11 to 13 anal rays present on the anal fin and it has a projecting lower jaw. The tongue is equipped with teeth at the base to aid in food capture. The dorsal spines are graduated in height; that is, they become progressively lower from the front to the back.

White Crappie

White Crappie are one of the most popular and abundant game fish in Meredith Reservoir as well as one of the best tasting. Crappie spawn when water temperatures approach the mid-60's and are most abundant in shallow water at that time. Crappie are attracted to sunken debris, deadfalls, and brush or rock piles and may be found around these submerged objects. After spawning crappie are harder to find and catch as they suspend around submerged structures in deep water/ Determining the exact depth of the crappie is difficult but essential for catching these fish. Crappie will strike a bait fished above them but will seldom hit one deeper.

The most popular bait for crappie are minnows used alone or with a jig. Crappie also will hit small crankbaits, jigs and spinners. Once a crappie is caught, the angler should stay in that general area because crappie are generally found in large aggregations and anglers may catch several from the same spot. Light tackle is recommended for crappie with two to four pound test line adequate. Heavier line can be used and will reduce the number of lost hooks when fishing in heavy cover. There are many good crappie fishing spots around the lake. Anglers should concentrate on submerged brush and timber which yield consistent catches during the spawning season. Before the spawn anglers should fish drop-offs and underwater humps ten to twenty feet deep close to shore where they may concentrate. Most white crappie caught from Lake Meredith weigh half a pound to a pound; however, catches of fish weighing more than two pounds have occurred.

White Crappie

The white crappie Pomoxis angularis is a sunfish that thrives best in alkaline waters like those of Lake Meredith; They prefer quiet lakes and sluggish streams. In hot summer they are likely to go to deep and cool waters. Like the bass, the male crappie prepared the nest for the female and guards the eggs until they hatch. He will continue to guard the fry until they can shift for themselves. The eggs hatch in 7 to 15 days, depending on water temperature. Crappie prefer larger lakes to farm ponds. They need aquatic vegetation in their habitat, minnows and insects for food, and often they must have enough fishing pressure to hold their numbers to a level that will prevent over population.

Natural food includes minnows, small fish (especially shad), worms, insects, insect larvae, mollusks, crayfish, and other crustaceans. It will strike at almost any kind of plug or lure

Walleye

Walleye spawn from late March through early April. The major spawning area at Lake Meredith is along the rip-rap of Sanford Dam with some spawning occurring along other wave-swept rocky shorelines. Male walleye spend the entire spawning season in these areas waiting for females to come in to spawn. Females normally stay in canyons adjacent to the spawning areas until they are ready to spawn. Spawning takes place after sunset, and after spawning, females leave the area. The best walleye fishing during the spawning season occurs at night when fish are more active. Most anglers concentrate on the dam and catch small males. Larger females can be caught in South Canyon and North Canyon where they may be concentrated for several days. Since females come to the dam to spawn and not to feed, very few are caught there. Common baits are live minnows, jigs, and sinking crankbaits.

The rest of the year, walleye are generally dispersed around the entire reservoir, with the largest concentrations occurring on the north side. Walleye will strike natural baits as well as many lures used for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Walleye are not very aggressive feeders and usually will not chase fast moving baits or hit topwater lures. A popular way to fish for walleye is to slowly troll over rocky points and dropoffs using minnows, nightcrawlers or crankbaits. Bank fishermen should try fishing rocky points, casting nightcrawlers, minnows or jigs out to deep water and slowly retrieving the bait keeping it bouncing along the bottom. Walleye can be found in a variety of water depths. Good catches of walleye occur in spring and summer along rocky shorelines in 5 to 15 feet of water. Many are caught also at this time from deepwater structures. Large walleye often can be found near flooded brush close to shorelines during summer and fall months. Walleye do not put up a great fight but a large fish will pull hard especially when brought up to the side of the boat or to shore. A landing net is strongly recommended. Anglers should grasp a walleye firmly around the body and the base of the tail, avoiding their sharp teeth and gill covers. The state record walleye was caught at Lake Meredith.

Notropis girardi

The Arkansas River Shiner (Notropis girardi) is a federally proposed (59 FR 39532; August 3, 1994) species known to occur in the Canadian River in Texas.

Species Description:

The Arkansas River Shiner is a small robust shiner with a small dorsally flattened head, rounded snout, and small subterminal mouth. Adults attain a maximum size of 2 inches (51 mm). Dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins all have eight rays and there is usually a small black chevron present at the base of the caudal fin. Dorsal coloration tends to be light tan, with silvery sides gradually grading to white on the belly.

Distribution:

Historically, the Arkansas River shiner was widespread and abundant throughout the western portions of the Arkansas River Basin in Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The species is now almost entirely restricted to the Canadian (South Canadian) River in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

Habitat:

Typical habitat is flowing water over sand in streams or rivers. Adult shiners are uncommon in quiet pools or backwaters and rarely occur in tributaries having deep water and bottoms of mud or stone.

Adult shiners prefer to orient into the current on the lee side of transverse sand ridges and feed on organisms washed downstream. Their food habits have not been recorded but are presumed to consist of small aquatic invertebrates of plankton.

Threats:

Within the last 20 years, this species has disappeared from over 80% of its historic range. The species is threatened by habitat destruction and modification from stream dewatering/depletion due to diversion of surface water and excessive groundwater pumping, water quality degradation, construction of impoundments, competition with introduced species (such as the Red River Shiner, Notropis bairdi), and incidental capture by commercial fishermen.

Spawning occurs from June to August, generally occurring in July, and usually coinciding with flood flows following heavy rains. The eggs drift downstream and hatch within 24 - 48 hours. Spawning is flow dependent; a dramatic change in flow apparently stimulates spawning. The life span is likely less than 3 years in the wild.

Surveys: Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi)

The recommended time of year to survey the Canadian River for this species is from July through September.

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation 1991. Life history and distribution of the Arkansas River shiner in Oklahoma. Federal Aid Project E-8, Job 1. Surveys were conducted between June 1, 1989 and August 31, 1991. The following nine sites were surveyed in Texas:

Hemphill County:

July 8, 1990 on the South Canadian River 1 mile north of the town of Canadian on Highway 60/83. (59 Arkansas River shiners)

Roberts County:

July 8, 1990 on the South Canadian River 34 miles north of the town of Pampa on highway 70. (5 Arkansas River shiners)

Potter County:

July 9, 1990 on the South Canadian River 15 miles north of Amarillo on highway 287. (16 speckled chubs (C2) and 115 Arkansas River shiners)

July 11, 1990 on the South Canadian River off Highway 1061 on Ady road, 5 miles east of Highway 385. River was dry.

Oldham County:

July 11, 1990 on the South Canadian River 12 miles south of Channing on highway 385. (114 speckled chubs (C2) and 133 Arkansas River shiners.)

Hutchinson County:

July 12, 1990 on the South Canadian River swimming area below Sanford Dam spillway at Lake Meredith. No Arkansas River shiners collected.

July 12, 1990 on the South Canadian River 1 mile east of Sanford Dam on oil pump service road. No Arkansas River shiners collected.

July 12, 1990 on Cottonwood Creek off highway 2277 bridge two miles southeast of Stinnett. No Arkansas River shiners collected.

July 12, 1990 on South Canadian River 10 miles southeast of Stinnett under Highway 2277 bridge. (4 Arkansas River shiners)

The Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi)is a native fish historically found in the Arkansas River and its major tributaries prior to dam construction on these streams. Its primary characters are as follows:

The Arkansas River Shiner is a small robust shiner with a small dorsally flattened head, rounded snout, and small subterminal mouth. Adults attain a maximum size of 2 inches (51 mm). Dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins all have eight rays and there is usually a small black chevron present at the base of the caudal fin. Dorsal coloration tends to be light tan, with silvery sides gradually grading to white on the belly.

Body depth usually contained 4 to 5 times in length from snout to base of caudal fin. Lateral line usually complete. Mouth oblique to almost horizontal and extending to or almost to the front of the eye. Lateral line scales less than 40. A more or less distinct dark spot on or at the base of the caudal fin. Spot at base of caudal fin rather pale; not large. Anal rays usually 8. Front of dorsal fin distinctly before front of pelvic fins. Dusky above, pale below; mouth subterminal and rather horizontal. Length 2 inches.

Dorsal fin origin nearer snout tip than caudal base. Mouth rather large, slightly oblique. Caudal spot small, often indistinct; vertebral stripe distinct, no other markings at caudal base. Body depth contained fewer than five times in standard length. Tips of pectoral fins approximating or extending behind pelvic insertion. Mouth large, terminal, oblique and maxilla reaching to the vertical from anterior orbital margin. Lateral band poorly developed; not extending forward onto head. L.l scales fewer than 40. Anterior L.l scales not noticeably elevated, L.l. without black crescents. Anal rays typically 8. Pharyngeal teeth in one row; 4-4

To summarize then, the Arkansas River Shiner is a small robust shiner with a small dorsally flattened head, rounded snout, and small subterminal mouth. Adults attain a maximum size of 2 inches (51 mm). Dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins all have eight rays and there is usually a small black chevron present at the base of the caudal fin. Dorsal coloration tends to be light tan, with silvery sides gradually grading to white on the belly.

Currently, this species is much reduced from historic levels, but not yet to the category of "Endangered". If listed, it would probably be as "Threatened", which would have less of an impact than full listing.

In addition to this species there is a second fish the Speckled Chub (Hybopsis aestivalis) which is a Category 2 species which means that it is "of special concern". Very likely, there will also be an attempt to list this species at a future date.

To prevent the listing, we need to establish the habitat at Lake Meredith for the Arkansas River shiner. If we can show this fish to be abundant in the streams which feed into Lake Meredith, it likely will not be listed, since new populations have been found. If listed, we should try to get a "conservation agreement" with Fish and Wildlife which will tell what we will do to ensure that this fish does not lose its current habitat.

The Canadian River Municipal Water Authority has given the following concerns should listing become necessary:

CRMWA provides a municipal water supply to eleven cities and towns (total population:450,000) from Lake Meredith on the Canadian River about forty miles north of Amarillo. While no specific remedial measures, recovery plan, or restriction of future actions has been designated by the Fish and Wildlife Service for the Arkansas River shiner as an endangered species, it is easy to speculate from information given that some impacts could be expected such as the following:

Operation of Lake Meredith could be affected if the Service should require increased streamflows as part of a recovery plan. Lake Meredith has already been found to have a substantially lower water supply yield than original studies indicated. Further reduction of firm yield would result, making supplies to our member cities even less reliable.

Execution of the Lake Meredith Salinity Control Project would apparently require "consultation" with the Service, with unknown resulting impacts. This Project, which will stop the inflow of salty water to the Canadian River in New Mexico, is absolutely necessary to stop the gradual deterioration of water quality in Lake Meredith.

The Alternate Water Supply Project is proposed to supply water from underground sources, making up the shortfall in yield from the Lake and providing good quality water for mixing to meet quality standards. Our ability to carry out this project could be impacted if use of water from ground water sources is restricted.

Recreation activities at Lake Meredith could be affected should the Service require releases of water to "improve" downstream habitat for the minnows.

These are just a few items that come to mind and in no way constitute a complete list of the impacts which could or will be felt.

First notice of the Arkansas River Shiner in the Texas Panhandle was reported by Frank B. Croos, Walter W. Dalquest, and Leo Lewis in the Mid 1950s.

At that time, Dalquest and Lewis found N. girardi to be abundant (their word) in the Canadian River from the Oklahoma border west at least to Tascosa in Oldham County. N. girardi was at that time considered to be endemic to the Arkansas River system, where it abounded in expansive sand-filled channels of the larger western tributaries ——the South Canadian, North Canadian, and Cimmaron Rivers in Oklahoma and the Arkansas River in Texas.

Populations of Notropis girardi were at that time thought to be continuous throughout the range of the species. It was noted that the Arkansas River Shiner spawns only in main stream and only at periods of highwater. The free-floating eggs and larvae drift downstream under the influence of the current throughout the early stages of their development. It had previously been determined that approximately three days elapse from the time of spawning until the larvae are capable of horizontal movement. (Thus) the larvae begin their active existence many miles below their parent locality. The pattern of subsequent dispersal was unknown.