At First Glance: TWRA Winter Trout Stocking at ……represents our roving creel path. Introduction...
1
At First Glance: TWRA Winter Trout Stocking at Bicentennial Greenbelt Park, Maryville, TN 1 University of Tennessee, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, 2 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Region IV, 3030 Wildlife Way, Morristown, TN 37814, 3 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, 5107 Edmondson Pike, Nashville, TN 37211 Jeff Stevens 1 , S. Petre 2 , B. Simcox 3 Figure 1. Our study site in Maryville, Tennessee. The orange line represents our roving creel path. Introduction o The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) has recently expanded their winter trout stocking program into Region IV (East Tennessee) to increase R3 efforts (Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation). o Historically, Region IV has not heavily participated in winter trout stocking due to its excellent wild trout fisheries. o High, unpredictable flows leave the region with few winter trout fishing opportunities. o Additionally, access to Region IV’s wild trout fisheries has restricted access to anglers with limited mobility o These factors led the TWRA to select Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake of Bicentennial Greenbelt Park in Maryville, Tennessee as a new winter trout stocking site this past winter (December 2019 – February 2020) Methods o A roving creel survey was conducted at Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake (Figure 1). o Catch rates, harvest rates, and angler satisfaction rates were calculated for each location, using the creel data. o Stocking rates (fish/ha/event) were calculated for Greenbelt Lake. Pistol Creek stocking rates were not calculated due it’s non-defined boundaries (fish can disperse upstream of stocking location). o Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake were compared to other winter trout stocking locations to determine if the TWRA should continue stocking these locations and at what rate. Table 3. Greenbelt Lake (bolded) in comparison to other TWRA winter trout stocking sites evaluated during 2018-2019 winter. Size of pond is surface area in hectares (ha). Stocking rates are defined as trout stocked at each stocking event per ha of surface area. Table 1. Our study sites (bolded) in comparison to other TWRA winter trout stocking locations (2018-2019 data). * Number of angling trips at Bolivar and Meadow Creek Park was estimated using average fishing trip lengths from their respective region’s creel surveys (2.4hrs & 2.8hrs). **Locations with camera issues during evaluation. *c Traditional on-site creel surveys conducted only in the first two weeks after each stocking. Location Region Size(ha) Stocking Rate (trout/ha) Total Number of Fish Bolivar City Pond Region I 0.91 820 1,500 Lake Graham Region I 0.62 2,405 3,000 McKenzie City Park Region I 0.40 2,470 2,000 Athens Rec. Park Region III 0.81 1,235 2,000 Cane Creek Park Region III 21.74 46 5,000 Lake Junior Region III 3.00 618 4,000 Meadow Creek Park Region III 18.79 53 2,000 Fountain City Park Greenbelt Lake Region IV Region IV 0.32 2.5 781 146 850 1100 Results o Angler effort was higher at Greenbelt Lake (1754 hrs) than Pistol Creek (1124 hrs), but Pistol Creek had much higher catch and harvest rates (1.41 fish/hr ; 1.09 fish/hr) than Greenbelt Lake (0.24 fish/hr ; 0.16 fish/hr) (Table 1). o Anger satisfaction rates were higher at Pistol Creek (76%) than Greenbelt Lake (71%) (Table 2). o Stocking rates at Greenbelt Lake are lower than other, similar TWRA winter trout stocking locations (Table 3). Location Angling Effort (hrs) Creel Surveys Catch Rates Harvest Rates Estimated Harvest (%) Bolivar City Pond** 11 - - - - Lake Graham** 776 43 2.21 (0.39) 1.89 (0.35) 49 McKenzie City Park 504 22 1.66 (0.54) 0.89 (0.20) 22 Athens Rec. Park 1,085 46 1.98 (0.39) 1.50 (0.35) 81 Cane Creek Park* c 555 28 1.19 (0.38) 0.91 (0.34) 10 Lake Junior** 1,402 77 1.22 (0.14) 1.18 (0.14) 41 Meadow Creek Park** 67 - - - - Fountain City Park* c 1,579 70 1.00 (0.15) 0.64 (0.12) 100 Greenbelt Lake 1,754 79 0.24 (0.05) 0.16 (0.04) 26 Pistol Creek 1,124 65 1.41 (0.20) 1.09 (0.19) 100 Table 2. Angler satisfaction rates for Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake Location Completely Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Neither Somewhat Satisfied Completely Satisfied Total Pistol Creek 1 0 9 12 19 41 Greenbelt Lake 0 0 14 15 20 49 Total 1 0 23 27 39 90 Discussion o TWRA is pleased with the CPUE on Pistol Creek (1.41 fish/hr) as it is higher than the goal CPUE (1.00 fish/hr) and the high satisfaction rate indicates the anglers are also pleased. o Greenbelt Lake’s high use (1,754 hrs) and low CPUE (0.24 fish/hr) indicates minimal stocking success when compared to similar Tennessee winter trout stocking locations. Conclusions o Pistol Creek has adequate catch, harvest, and satisfaction rates and, therefore, needs no change in stocking rate. o Greenbelt Lake’s combination of high use and low catch rates, in addition to lower stocking levels than other TWRA winter trout stocking locations, suggests a high stocking rate is necessary to increase the success of the location. o Due to the highly variable nature of angling hours in an urban setting, an increased number of creel shifts are recommended to better estimate angling effort
Transcript of At First Glance: TWRA Winter Trout Stocking at ……represents our roving creel path. Introduction...
At First Glance: TWRA Winter Trout Stocking at Bicentennial Greenbelt Park, Maryville, TN
1 University of Tennessee, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, 2 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Region IV, 3030 Wildlife Way, Morristown, TN 37814,3 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, 5107 Edmondson Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
Jeff Stevens 1, S. Petre 2, B. Simcox 3
Figure 1. Our study site in Maryville, Tennessee. The orange line represents our roving creel path.
Introductiono The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) has recently expanded their winter trout stocking program into
Region IV (East Tennessee) to increase R3 efforts (Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation).
o Historically, Region IV has not heavily participated in winter trout stocking due to its excellent wild trout fisheries.
o High, unpredictable flows leave the region with few winter trout fishing opportunities.
o Additionally, access to Region IV’s wild trout fisheries has restricted access to anglers with limited mobility
o These factors led the TWRA to select Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake of Bicentennial Greenbelt Park in Maryville,
Tennessee as a new winter trout stocking site this past winter (December 2019 – February 2020)
Methods
o A roving creel survey was conducted at Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake (Figure 1).
o Catch rates, harvest rates, and angler satisfaction rates were calculated for each location, using the creel data.
o Stocking rates (fish/ha/event) were calculated for Greenbelt Lake. Pistol Creek stocking rates were not calculated due
it’s non-defined boundaries (fish can disperse upstream of stocking location).
o Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake were compared to other winter trout stocking locations to determine if the TWRA
should continue stocking these locations and at what rate.
Table 3. Greenbelt Lake (bolded) in comparison to other TWRA wintertrout stocking sites evaluated during 2018-2019 winter. Size of pond issurface area in hectares (ha). Stocking rates are defined as troutstocked at each stocking event per ha of surface area.
Table 1. Our study sites (bolded) in comparison to other TWRA wintertrout stocking locations (2018-2019 data). * Number of angling tripsat Bolivar and Meadow Creek Park was estimated using averagefishing trip lengths from their respective region’s creel surveys (2.4hrs& 2.8hrs). **Locations with camera issues during evaluation. *cTraditional on-site creel surveys conducted only in the first two weeksafter each stocking.
Location Region Size(ha) Stocking Rate (trout/ha)
Total Number of Fish
Bolivar City Pond Region I 0.91 820 1,500
Lake Graham Region I 0.62 2,405 3,000
McKenzie City Park Region I 0.40 2,470 2,000
Athens Rec. Park Region III 0.81 1,235 2,000
Cane Creek Park Region III 21.74 46 5,000
Lake Junior Region III 3.00 618 4,000
Meadow Creek Park Region III 18.79 53 2,000
Fountain City Park
Greenbelt Lake
Region IV
Region IV
0.32
2.5
781
146
850
1100
Results
o Angler effort was higher at Greenbelt Lake (1754 hrs) than Pistol Creek (1124 hrs), but Pistol Creek had much higher
catch and harvest rates (1.41 fish/hr ; 1.09 fish/hr) than Greenbelt Lake (0.24 fish/hr ; 0.16 fish/hr) (Table 1).
o Anger satisfaction rates were higher at Pistol Creek (76%) than Greenbelt Lake (71%) (Table 2).
o Stocking rates at Greenbelt Lake are lower than other, similar TWRA winter trout stocking locations (Table 3).
Location Angling
Effort (hrs)
Creel
Surveys
Catch
Rates
Harvest
Rates
Estimated
Harvest (%)
Bolivar City Pond** 11 - - - -
Lake Graham** 776 43 2.21 (0.39) 1.89 (0.35) 49
McKenzie City Park 504 22 1.66 (0.54) 0.89 (0.20) 22
Athens Rec. Park 1,085 46 1.98 (0.39) 1.50 (0.35) 81
Cane Creek Park*c 555 28 1.19 (0.38) 0.91 (0.34) 10
Lake Junior** 1,402 77 1.22 (0.14) 1.18 (0.14) 41
Meadow Creek Park** 67 - - - -
Fountain City Park*c 1,579 70 1.00 (0.15) 0.64 (0.12) 100
Greenbelt Lake 1,754 79 0.24 (0.05) 0.16 (0.04) 26
Pistol Creek 1,124 65 1.41 (0.20) 1.09 (0.19) 100
Table 2. Angler satisfaction rates for Pistol Creek and Greenbelt Lake
Location Completely Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Neither Somewhat Satisfied Completely Satisfied Total Pistol Creek 1 0 9 12 19 41
Greenbelt Lake 0 0 14 15 20 49Total 1 0 23 27 39 90
Discussiono TWRA is pleased with the CPUE on Pistol Creek (1.41 fish/hr) as it is higher than the goal CPUE (1.00 fish/hr) and the
high satisfaction rate indicates the anglers are also pleased.
o Greenbelt Lake’s high use (1,754 hrs) and low CPUE (0.24 fish/hr) indicates minimal stocking success when compared
to similar Tennessee winter trout stocking locations.
Conclusionso Pistol Creek has adequate catch, harvest, and satisfaction rates and, therefore, needs no change in stocking rate.
o Greenbelt Lake’s combination of high use and low catch rates, in addition to lower stocking levels than other TWRA
winter trout stocking locations, suggests a high stocking rate is necessary to increase the success of the location.
o Due to the highly variable nature of angling hours in an urban setting, an increased number of creel shifts are
recommended to better estimate angling effort
