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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #207727
Title: Cormorant predation of largemouth bass in Lake Chicot, Arkansas

Author
item FENECH, AMY - UAPB
item RACEY, CHRISTOPHER - UAPB
item Radomski, Andrew
item LOCHMANN, STEVE - UAPB

Submitted to: Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2006
Publication Date: 1/15/2006
Citation: Fenech, A.S., Racey, C.L., Radomski, A.A., Lochmann, S.E. 2006. Cormorant predation of largemouth bass in Lake Chicot, Arkansas. Proceedings of Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conference. p. 303-312.

Interpretive Summary: Fisheries managers and anglers are concerned about the effects that increasing over-wintering populations of piscivorous Double-crested Cormorants have on game fish populations in the southeastern United States. We estimated crappie and largemouth bass populations in an oxbow lake of southeastern Arkansas. Diet overlap of cormorants and largemouth bass was evaluated for fall, winter, spring, and all seasons combined in Lake Chicot. Cormorants consumed an estimated 0.001% to 0.34% of the crappie population per year when using rotenone data to estimate population abundance or 0.01% to 1.01% of the population when using creel data. Cormorants consumed 0.13% to 13.83% of the largemouth bass population when using rotenone data and 0.02% to 4.64% when using creel data to estimate population abundance. The number of sport fish in the population and the number of cormorants feeding on Lake Chicot per day were the most important factors in determining loss rate (%) due to cormorants. Diet overlap was biologically significant (greater than 60%) only in the fall. Over-wintering cormorants had little negative effect on largemouth bass and crappie populations in Lake Chicot.

Technical Abstract: Fisheries managers and anglers are concerned about the effects that increasing over-wintering populations of piscivorous Double-crested Cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus have on game fish populations in the southeastern United States. We estimated the mortality of crappie Pomoxis spp. and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides populations due to predation by cormorants in an oxbow lake of southeastern Arkansas. Diet overlap of cormorants and largemouth bass was evaluated for fall, winter, spring, and all seasons combined in Lake Chicot. We calculated that cormorants consumed 47 - 2754 crappies and 59 - 3122 largemouth bass from a 2024-ha oxbow lake in 2001. Cormorants consumed an estimated 0.001% to 0.34% of the crappie population per year when using rotenone data to estimate population abundance or 0.01% to 1.01% of the population when using creel data. Cormorants consumed 0.13% to 13.83% of the largemouth bass population when using rotenone data and 0.02% to 4.64% when using creel data to estimate population abundance. The number of sport fish in the population and the number of cormorants feeding on Lake Chicot per day were the most important factors in determining loss rate (%) due to cormorants. Diet overlap was biologically significant (greater than 60%) only in the fall. Over-wintering cormorants had little negative effect on largemouth bass and crappie populations in Lake Chicot.