Fish Distribution
Kanawha Falls is the primary physical barrier that divides the distinct fish fauna of the New River System from that of the Upper Ohio River System (fig. 4). About 90 native species are known from basin streams downstream from Kanawha Falls. This area, referred to as the Kanawha River System, is, along with other river basins throughout West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, part of the Upper Ohio River System (Hocutt and others, 1986). Upstream from Kanawha Falls, the New River System includes the New and Gauley Rivers, their tributaries, and about one mile of the Kanawha River. The New River System has no more than 45 native species, 8 of which are endemic (found nowhere else in the world) (Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). Many or most of the native species of the New River System are cold tolerant and thought to be relicts of Pleistocene glaciation (Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). Many researchers have studied the routes of dispersal for the rest of the native species (Cope, 1868; Addair, 1944; Hocutt and others, 1978, Hocutt and others, 1979; Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). Whatever the route of natural dispersal into the New River System, at the arrival of Europeans the New River was a depauperate (lacking in species) warm-water system surrounded by environmentally similar stream systems with richer faunas.
Starnes and Etnier (1986) consider much of all fish zoogeography speculative. The native status of several fish species in the New River System is not definitely known, because studies extensive enough to document fish species distribution were not done until after many non-native species were well established in many streams. Stocking records show that some fish species were introduced soon after the first survey of the fish in the basin, when collections were made at only four sites in Virginia (Cope, 1868; Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). The second survey of the basin’s fish (at fewer than 10 sites) was made in response to a reported precipitous decline in Appalachian Plateaus fish populations caused by elimination of the virgin forest and related events, including widespread fires and commercial harvesting of stream fish using explosives (Goldsborough and Clark, 1908; Clarkson, 1964). No extensive basinwide fish collections were made until the 1930’s, well after fisheries managers had pursued aggressive stocking programs but probably before rapid transportation enabled anglers to move bait species extensively across drainage boundaries.
Addair (1944) collected fish throughout the West Virginia part of the basin during the 1930’s. He collected 28 fish species from about 50 sites upstream from Kanawha Falls, and some of these (smallmouth, spotted, and rock bass, common carp) were known introductions. Addair collected fish only by seining. Fish collection technology has improved since the 1930’s, making it possible to collect more species of fish from a given stream reach, including species that might have been present but not abundant during Addair’s surveys. However, human movement of bait fish across drainage basin boundaries became widespread during or shortly after Addair’s surveys. These trends combine to make the native status of species first collected in the basin since Addair’s collections ambiguous. Scientific judgment of the native status of several species in the New River System has changed through time (Jenkins and others, 1972; Hocutt, Stauffer, and Jenkins, 1986; Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). Known non-native fish species continue to expand their ranges in the New River System (Cincotta and others, 1999); this expansion suggests that some species presently considered native or tentatively native, which were first collected in the 1970’s at only a few sites but are now more widespread, may not be native.New River
Sunday, October 2, 2011
USGS Kanawha Basin Facts
Description of the Kanawha River BasinThe Kanawha River Basin drains 12,223 mi2 in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia (Messinger and Hughes, 2000). The New River, the major tributary of the Kanawha River, is formed in North Carolina (fig. 1). Major tributaries (> 400 mi2) of the New River are the Bluestone and Greenbrier Rivers in West Virginia. The Kanawha River is formed at Gauley Bridge, W.Va., by the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers, and its other major tributaries are the Elk and Coal Rivers. The Kanawha River drains to the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, W.Va.
The Kanawha River drains parts of three physiographic provinces (fig. 2), the Blue Ridge Province (17 percent), Valley and Ridge Province (23 percent), and the Appalachian Plateaus Province (60 percent) (Fenneman, 1938). In the Appalachian Plateaus part of the basin, hilltop altitude ranges from about 1,000 ft to about 4,000 ft, generally from northwest to east and southeast, and relief and stream gradient generally are greater in the area with greater altitude. The differences in altitude and relief within the Appalachian Plateaus have caused differences in environmental conditions including precipitation, streamflow, stream gradient, terrestrial vegetation, and land use (Messinger and Hughes, 2000).
The climate of the Kanawha River Basin is classified as continental, with four distinct seasons and marked temperature contrast between summer and winter (Messinger and Hughes, 2000). The maximum precipitation in the basin is greater than 60 in/yr both in the northeastern Appalachian Plateaus and in the southern Blue Ridge Province. The minimum precipitation in the basin, about 36 in/yr, is in the Valley and Ridge Province and in the Greenbrier Valley, in a regional rain shadow; however, the westernmost part of the Appalachian Plateaus receives only slightly more precipitation, about 40–45 in/yr.
Streams are regulated by four major flood-control dams, three navigation dams, and several smaller dams. All these dams obstruct fish movement. No fish that migrate to or from the ocean have ever been common in the basin, although some native fish, notably suckers, are strongly migratory within and near the basin. Ninety miles of the Kanawha River main stem are regulated for barge navigation by large locks and dams at London, Marmet, and Winfield. This entire reach of the river is dredged periodically.
Streams in the Blue Ridge Province follow a dendritic drainage pattern. Many mountain streams are cold and support (or formerly supported) brook trout populations, but the larger streams are warm. Stream water is typically dilute (less than 200 mg/L dissolved solids) and neutral to slightly acidic. Streams of the Valley and Ridge Province follow a trellised drainage pattern. Bedrock in the valleys is typically shale and limestone, and waters in Valley and Ridge streams are generally slightly alkaline
(7.0–8.0 pH units) and contain more dissolved solids (200–350 mg/L) than do streams in the Blue Ridge Province.
Streams throughout the Appalachian Plateaus follow a dendritic drainage pattern. Many high-altitude streams are cold, and some streams draining areas larger than 100 mi2 support trout populations. Bedrock in the northeastern part of the Appalachian Plateaus generally is inert, insoluble sandstone and shale. Stream water in this area typically is very dilute (30–100 mg/L dissolved solids) and poorly buffered, and some streams have been degraded by acid precipitation (Messinger, 1997). Streams in the rest of the Appalachian Plateaus typically have lower gradients than streams in the areas of highest altitude. The Greenbrier River and its eastern tributaries are underlain by limestone, and their waters are mildly alkaline (7.0–8.0 pH units), well buffered, and moderate in dissolved solids (150–200 mg/L). Bedrock in the western part of the Appalachian Plateaus Province is predominantly sandstone, shale, and coal, with interbedded limestone. The shale typically yields more solutes than the sandstone does, and relative amounts of shale increase in a gradient from south to north. Stream water in the western part of the Appalachian Plateaus contains more dissolved solids than any other part of the basin, with typical concentrations of 500 mg/L in the Coal River and its tributaries, the downstream tributaries of the Elk River, and many minor tributaries of the Kanawha River. Most stream water in this part of the basin is mildly alkaline and well buffered. The basin is mostly forest (81 percent) with a substantial amount of agricultural land (16 percent) (Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Interagency Consortium, 1997). Major industries in the basin include coal mining and chemical manufacturing in West Virginia, timbering throughout most of the basin, and pasture agriculture in Virginia, North Carolina, and parts of West Virginia (Messinger and Hughes, 2000). The Kanawha River Basin produces about 7 percent of the coal mined in the United States, mostly from a band of Pennsylvanian-age rocks in West Virginia (fig. 3). Where coal is minable, it has usually been mined repeatedly, using different methods (Paybins and others, 2001). Numbers of active surface and underground mines and abandoned mines are all generally greatest in the areas with the most total coal production, complicating attempts to separate the effects of these factors. Major hydrologic effects of coal mining include addition of sulfate, aluminum, iron, and manganese to water, and increase in stream sedimentation. Base flow is increased downstream from valley fills (Wiley and others, 2001), but subsidence from underground mining beneath valley floors can dewater aquifers and streams (Hobba, 1981) The New River may be among the oldest rivers in the world, although the claim that it is the second oldest river in the world is no longer considered to be well-founded (Swift, 2001; Lessing, 1997). Until about 2 million years ago, the New River was the headwater of the Teays River, the master stream flowing from the central Appalachian Mountains toward the Gulf of Mexico (Fridley, 1950). The native fish fauna of the New River is probably affected by both the New River’s ancient position as head of the Teays River, and by combinations of geomorphic barriers and climate changes during times of glaciation (Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994).
The Kanawha River drains parts of three physiographic provinces (fig. 2), the Blue Ridge Province (17 percent), Valley and Ridge Province (23 percent), and the Appalachian Plateaus Province (60 percent) (Fenneman, 1938). In the Appalachian Plateaus part of the basin, hilltop altitude ranges from about 1,000 ft to about 4,000 ft, generally from northwest to east and southeast, and relief and stream gradient generally are greater in the area with greater altitude. The differences in altitude and relief within the Appalachian Plateaus have caused differences in environmental conditions including precipitation, streamflow, stream gradient, terrestrial vegetation, and land use (Messinger and Hughes, 2000).
The climate of the Kanawha River Basin is classified as continental, with four distinct seasons and marked temperature contrast between summer and winter (Messinger and Hughes, 2000). The maximum precipitation in the basin is greater than 60 in/yr both in the northeastern Appalachian Plateaus and in the southern Blue Ridge Province. The minimum precipitation in the basin, about 36 in/yr, is in the Valley and Ridge Province and in the Greenbrier Valley, in a regional rain shadow; however, the westernmost part of the Appalachian Plateaus receives only slightly more precipitation, about 40–45 in/yr.
Streams are regulated by four major flood-control dams, three navigation dams, and several smaller dams. All these dams obstruct fish movement. No fish that migrate to or from the ocean have ever been common in the basin, although some native fish, notably suckers, are strongly migratory within and near the basin. Ninety miles of the Kanawha River main stem are regulated for barge navigation by large locks and dams at London, Marmet, and Winfield. This entire reach of the river is dredged periodically.
Streams in the Blue Ridge Province follow a dendritic drainage pattern. Many mountain streams are cold and support (or formerly supported) brook trout populations, but the larger streams are warm. Stream water is typically dilute (less than 200 mg/L dissolved solids) and neutral to slightly acidic. Streams of the Valley and Ridge Province follow a trellised drainage pattern. Bedrock in the valleys is typically shale and limestone, and waters in Valley and Ridge streams are generally slightly alkaline
(7.0–8.0 pH units) and contain more dissolved solids (200–350 mg/L) than do streams in the Blue Ridge Province.
Streams throughout the Appalachian Plateaus follow a dendritic drainage pattern. Many high-altitude streams are cold, and some streams draining areas larger than 100 mi2 support trout populations. Bedrock in the northeastern part of the Appalachian Plateaus generally is inert, insoluble sandstone and shale. Stream water in this area typically is very dilute (30–100 mg/L dissolved solids) and poorly buffered, and some streams have been degraded by acid precipitation (Messinger, 1997). Streams in the rest of the Appalachian Plateaus typically have lower gradients than streams in the areas of highest altitude. The Greenbrier River and its eastern tributaries are underlain by limestone, and their waters are mildly alkaline (7.0–8.0 pH units), well buffered, and moderate in dissolved solids (150–200 mg/L). Bedrock in the western part of the Appalachian Plateaus Province is predominantly sandstone, shale, and coal, with interbedded limestone. The shale typically yields more solutes than the sandstone does, and relative amounts of shale increase in a gradient from south to north. Stream water in the western part of the Appalachian Plateaus contains more dissolved solids than any other part of the basin, with typical concentrations of 500 mg/L in the Coal River and its tributaries, the downstream tributaries of the Elk River, and many minor tributaries of the Kanawha River. Most stream water in this part of the basin is mildly alkaline and well buffered. The basin is mostly forest (81 percent) with a substantial amount of agricultural land (16 percent) (Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Interagency Consortium, 1997). Major industries in the basin include coal mining and chemical manufacturing in West Virginia, timbering throughout most of the basin, and pasture agriculture in Virginia, North Carolina, and parts of West Virginia (Messinger and Hughes, 2000). The Kanawha River Basin produces about 7 percent of the coal mined in the United States, mostly from a band of Pennsylvanian-age rocks in West Virginia (fig. 3). Where coal is minable, it has usually been mined repeatedly, using different methods (Paybins and others, 2001). Numbers of active surface and underground mines and abandoned mines are all generally greatest in the areas with the most total coal production, complicating attempts to separate the effects of these factors. Major hydrologic effects of coal mining include addition of sulfate, aluminum, iron, and manganese to water, and increase in stream sedimentation. Base flow is increased downstream from valley fills (Wiley and others, 2001), but subsidence from underground mining beneath valley floors can dewater aquifers and streams (Hobba, 1981) The New River may be among the oldest rivers in the world, although the claim that it is the second oldest river in the world is no longer considered to be well-founded (Swift, 2001; Lessing, 1997). Until about 2 million years ago, the New River was the headwater of the Teays River, the master stream flowing from the central Appalachian Mountains toward the Gulf of Mexico (Fridley, 1950). The native fish fauna of the New River is probably affected by both the New River’s ancient position as head of the Teays River, and by combinations of geomorphic barriers and climate changes during times of glaciation (Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994).
New River Musky
Muskellunge were first stocked in the New River in 1972. The total number of fish stocked varied from year to year until a stocking rate of 1-2 fingerlings per pool acre became the standard. Tiger musky were stocked a few years but survival was poor and anglers were not seeing them, so we went back to stocking pure strain musky. A musky habitat study began in 1992 and lasted through 1995. Pool lengths, widths, and depths were measured on the Clinch, New, James, and Shenandoah Rivers. Aquatic vegetation was identified. Stocking rates and stocking locations were then adjusted to more efficiently allocate the muskies produced in our hatchery system.
Beginning in 2000, a cooperative musky research project between Virginia Tech and our Department, began to evaluate management of the New River musky fishery. Musky captured by electrofishing in the Whitethorne section of the river were outfitted with radio transmitters and tracked weekly for three years. During that time, additional sampling was done each winter and early spring throughout the New. Stomachs of each collected musky were pumped for food items, and most fish were released back into the river. A select few were sacrificed for additional internal investigations, and a bone called the cleithra, found in the gill covering plate, was removed for aging of the fish. Data analysis lead researchers to recommend an increase in the minimum harvest length from 30 inches to 42 inches, and a decrease in the creel limit from two fish per day to one fish per day on the entire New River and its impoundments. The new regulations were approved and went into effect on July 1, 2006.
Current Management Project
One of the goals of the New River musky stocking program has been to produce a self sustaining, naturally reproducing population of fish, with the understanding that periodic stockings would have to be done to support the population. For the last 20 years or so,
musky reproduction was considered possible in the New, particularly in the lower river below Claytor Lake because of the abundant habitat, forage, and adult population found there. To document reproduction, a plan was devised to skip a couple of years of stockings in the lower river in 2004 and 2006, and to intensively sample for young-of-year (YOY) musky the following winters (when the fish would be nearly a year old). If young fish were found, it would be assumed that they were naturally reproduced. In addition, all musky stocked in 2005 received a fin clip, and all those stocked in the lower river in 2007 were clipped and given a pink visual implant elastomer (plastic) mark in their anal fin.
Our musky, produced at the Buller Fish Cultural Station near Marion, VA, are usually four to six inches in length when stocked. A change was made in the program in 2007 for the New River fish. Following the draining of the production pond at Buller, the New River fish were stocked back into the pond after it was refilled. They were fed with minnows for an additional three months and when the pond was drained in September, the musky averaged nine inches with some as long as twelve inches in length. The purpose of the grow-out plan was to stock a larger fish, hoping for better survival the first year.
Management Project Results
Electrofishing on the lower New in January and February, 2005, resulted in the capture or close observance (defined as just out of reach of the net!) of 25 YOY musky, which equates to a catch-per-effort (CPE) rate of 1.6 YOY musky per hour of electrofishing
(Table 1). On the upper New at Fosters Falls and Austinville during that same time period, only one YOY was captured for a CPE of 0.1 per hour (Table 2). All of these 26 YOY had to have been naturally reproduced since no musky were stocked in 2004.
Sampling on the lower river in 2006 resulted in approximately the same YOY CPE at 1.5 per hour, and a slight increase in the upper river to 0.5 YOY per hour. The increase in CPE on the upper river is not really significant as it reflects the capture of only two young musky rather than one the year before. None of the YOY captured in 2006 exhibited the fin clip done to 2005 stocked musky. Here again is evidence of natural reproduction. In addition, several two year old musky were captured in 2006 that came from a non-stocked year in 2004. It was decided that sampling for YOY musky should be concentrated more on the lower New for the next two years where natural reproduction appeared to be much more significant.
There was a slight drop in YOY CPE on the lower New in 2007 to 1.2 per hour. But as in 2005, all 25 fish were the result of natural reproduction since no stockings took place in 2006. CPE remained the same on the upper river but again, only two YOY were caught there.
A dramatic increase in the number of YOY musky collected took place below Claytor Lake in 2008, all the way to West Virginia. Young fish were found in high numbers at almost every sampling location for a CPE of 7.7 per hour. The most significant thing about this was that only three fish exhibited the pink elastomer mark and fin clip of the 2007 stocked musky. The rest of the more than 100 YOY were wild fish. Only one short sample was done above Claytor and no musky were seen.
Adult musky were captured and/or observed each year of the investigation. Adult CPE had been slowly increasing on the lower river but then dropped significantly in 2008. Sampling conditions were poor for adult collections in 2008 as the
water was low and extremely clear for most of the sample dates. Large musky tend to remain more in the middle of the river under these conditions and they are not easily sampled there. They can also easily avoid the electric field when the water is clear and they can see
the boat from a distance. CPE on the upper river decreased each year on the upper river but was most likely the result of the decrease in sampling effort there. The most abundant size group of adult fish observed on both sections of the New has been fish in the mid to upper 30 inch range. However, musky up to 45 inches were routinely seen.
Current Population Status
The New River, particularly the reach from Claytor Dam downstream to West Virginia, has been and remains today, the premier destination to fish for large musky in Virginia. Anglers have registered 361 citation size musky (40 inches or 15 pounds)
over the last eleven years, including eight over 50 inches (Table 4). The present state record, a 53 inch, 45.5 pound giant, was caught in the lower New June 1, 2007. Based on the weight of eggs taken from a 39 pound musky sacrificed during the joint VT/DGIF study, this female musky undoubtedly would have weighed over 50 pounds back in the spring during spawning
season.
Almost half of the registered citation musky were caught during the May through July time period. The coldest months of December through January produced the second highest total of citation fish. Many large musky are caught by smallmouth anglers throughout the year, but the majority of the winter citations are registered by dedicated musky anglers fishing the river pretty much by themselves. March and September are the two months when the lowest number of citations are registered from the New. During March there is a migration from winter holes to spawning areas, and in September, the migration is back to their winter holes. It becomes difficult for anglers to find the moving fish during those months.
This high rate of angler harvest was one of the main reasons that the size limit was raised to 42 inches in 2006. Almost 50% of the citations were for fish under 42 inches and it is a good thing that those size musky are now protected from harvest. Up to about 40 inches or so, musky grow more in length than weight, but from there on up they really pack on the pounds and become true trophy fish.
Musky natural reproduction was first documented in 2005, and verified in 2007 and 2008. Natural reproduction by musky in the lower New produced an outstanding year class of young fish in 2007. Aquatic weed beds and backwater eddies covered in leaves are prime spawning areas for musky and the lower New has these habitats in great abundance. The question remains as to whether or not natural reproduction alone can maintain the musky population at its present level in the lower New. Although winter musky sampling has not yet been as frequent on the upper river, spring bass, sunfish, and walleye sampling has not shown musky reproduction to be significant upstream of Claytor Lake.
A couple of weeks after this report was written, we spent almost two hours electrofishing two sections of the lower New in order to collect adult brood fish for Buller Hatchery. All total, close to 30 adult musky (up to approximately 30 pounds) and eight YOY were collected in that short time.
Management Recommendations
The 2008 lower New River musky stocking should be cancelled due to the finding of an extremely abundant 2007 year class. Natural reproduction in 2007 should be able to support the fishery without stocking in 2008. Fin clips collected from sampled musky in 2007 and 2008 should be genetically analyzed at Virginia Tech to determine if a unique native stock of musky exists in the New River. Intensive sampling should continue on the lower New during January and February 2009, to continue documentation of natural reproduction. The results of that sampling and the genetic research should be used to develop a long term stocking plan for the lower river. One idea is to base whether to stock and the number to stock on winter surveys of the abundance of the previous years YOY portion of the fishery. Consideration should be given to always stocking advanced fingerlings of at least nine inches to increase the chance of survival. Smaller musky are too easily preyed upon immediately after stocking.
The 650 musky to be stocked in the upper New River in 2008 should be grown to advanced fingerling size as they were in 2007. Those to be stocked in 2009 should also be grown to advanced fingerling size prior to stocking, and also marked in some way to
facilitate an investigation into quantifying natural reproduction. Surveys should occur during the winter of 2009 as time allows, but intensive sampling needs to be a priority in 2010 to look for the marked individuals stocked in 2009.
Beginning in 2000, a cooperative musky research project between Virginia Tech and our Department, began to evaluate management of the New River musky fishery. Musky captured by electrofishing in the Whitethorne section of the river were outfitted with radio transmitters and tracked weekly for three years. During that time, additional sampling was done each winter and early spring throughout the New. Stomachs of each collected musky were pumped for food items, and most fish were released back into the river. A select few were sacrificed for additional internal investigations, and a bone called the cleithra, found in the gill covering plate, was removed for aging of the fish. Data analysis lead researchers to recommend an increase in the minimum harvest length from 30 inches to 42 inches, and a decrease in the creel limit from two fish per day to one fish per day on the entire New River and its impoundments. The new regulations were approved and went into effect on July 1, 2006.
Current Management Project
One of the goals of the New River musky stocking program has been to produce a self sustaining, naturally reproducing population of fish, with the understanding that periodic stockings would have to be done to support the population. For the last 20 years or so,
musky reproduction was considered possible in the New, particularly in the lower river below Claytor Lake because of the abundant habitat, forage, and adult population found there. To document reproduction, a plan was devised to skip a couple of years of stockings in the lower river in 2004 and 2006, and to intensively sample for young-of-year (YOY) musky the following winters (when the fish would be nearly a year old). If young fish were found, it would be assumed that they were naturally reproduced. In addition, all musky stocked in 2005 received a fin clip, and all those stocked in the lower river in 2007 were clipped and given a pink visual implant elastomer (plastic) mark in their anal fin.
Our musky, produced at the Buller Fish Cultural Station near Marion, VA, are usually four to six inches in length when stocked. A change was made in the program in 2007 for the New River fish. Following the draining of the production pond at Buller, the New River fish were stocked back into the pond after it was refilled. They were fed with minnows for an additional three months and when the pond was drained in September, the musky averaged nine inches with some as long as twelve inches in length. The purpose of the grow-out plan was to stock a larger fish, hoping for better survival the first year.
Management Project Results
Electrofishing on the lower New in January and February, 2005, resulted in the capture or close observance (defined as just out of reach of the net!) of 25 YOY musky, which equates to a catch-per-effort (CPE) rate of 1.6 YOY musky per hour of electrofishing
(Table 1). On the upper New at Fosters Falls and Austinville during that same time period, only one YOY was captured for a CPE of 0.1 per hour (Table 2). All of these 26 YOY had to have been naturally reproduced since no musky were stocked in 2004.
Sampling on the lower river in 2006 resulted in approximately the same YOY CPE at 1.5 per hour, and a slight increase in the upper river to 0.5 YOY per hour. The increase in CPE on the upper river is not really significant as it reflects the capture of only two young musky rather than one the year before. None of the YOY captured in 2006 exhibited the fin clip done to 2005 stocked musky. Here again is evidence of natural reproduction. In addition, several two year old musky were captured in 2006 that came from a non-stocked year in 2004. It was decided that sampling for YOY musky should be concentrated more on the lower New for the next two years where natural reproduction appeared to be much more significant.
There was a slight drop in YOY CPE on the lower New in 2007 to 1.2 per hour. But as in 2005, all 25 fish were the result of natural reproduction since no stockings took place in 2006. CPE remained the same on the upper river but again, only two YOY were caught there.
A dramatic increase in the number of YOY musky collected took place below Claytor Lake in 2008, all the way to West Virginia. Young fish were found in high numbers at almost every sampling location for a CPE of 7.7 per hour. The most significant thing about this was that only three fish exhibited the pink elastomer mark and fin clip of the 2007 stocked musky. The rest of the more than 100 YOY were wild fish. Only one short sample was done above Claytor and no musky were seen.
Adult musky were captured and/or observed each year of the investigation. Adult CPE had been slowly increasing on the lower river but then dropped significantly in 2008. Sampling conditions were poor for adult collections in 2008 as the
water was low and extremely clear for most of the sample dates. Large musky tend to remain more in the middle of the river under these conditions and they are not easily sampled there. They can also easily avoid the electric field when the water is clear and they can see
the boat from a distance. CPE on the upper river decreased each year on the upper river but was most likely the result of the decrease in sampling effort there. The most abundant size group of adult fish observed on both sections of the New has been fish in the mid to upper 30 inch range. However, musky up to 45 inches were routinely seen.
Current Population Status
The New River, particularly the reach from Claytor Dam downstream to West Virginia, has been and remains today, the premier destination to fish for large musky in Virginia. Anglers have registered 361 citation size musky (40 inches or 15 pounds)
over the last eleven years, including eight over 50 inches (Table 4). The present state record, a 53 inch, 45.5 pound giant, was caught in the lower New June 1, 2007. Based on the weight of eggs taken from a 39 pound musky sacrificed during the joint VT/DGIF study, this female musky undoubtedly would have weighed over 50 pounds back in the spring during spawning
season.
Almost half of the registered citation musky were caught during the May through July time period. The coldest months of December through January produced the second highest total of citation fish. Many large musky are caught by smallmouth anglers throughout the year, but the majority of the winter citations are registered by dedicated musky anglers fishing the river pretty much by themselves. March and September are the two months when the lowest number of citations are registered from the New. During March there is a migration from winter holes to spawning areas, and in September, the migration is back to their winter holes. It becomes difficult for anglers to find the moving fish during those months.
This high rate of angler harvest was one of the main reasons that the size limit was raised to 42 inches in 2006. Almost 50% of the citations were for fish under 42 inches and it is a good thing that those size musky are now protected from harvest. Up to about 40 inches or so, musky grow more in length than weight, but from there on up they really pack on the pounds and become true trophy fish.
Musky natural reproduction was first documented in 2005, and verified in 2007 and 2008. Natural reproduction by musky in the lower New produced an outstanding year class of young fish in 2007. Aquatic weed beds and backwater eddies covered in leaves are prime spawning areas for musky and the lower New has these habitats in great abundance. The question remains as to whether or not natural reproduction alone can maintain the musky population at its present level in the lower New. Although winter musky sampling has not yet been as frequent on the upper river, spring bass, sunfish, and walleye sampling has not shown musky reproduction to be significant upstream of Claytor Lake.
A couple of weeks after this report was written, we spent almost two hours electrofishing two sections of the lower New in order to collect adult brood fish for Buller Hatchery. All total, close to 30 adult musky (up to approximately 30 pounds) and eight YOY were collected in that short time.
Management Recommendations
The 2008 lower New River musky stocking should be cancelled due to the finding of an extremely abundant 2007 year class. Natural reproduction in 2007 should be able to support the fishery without stocking in 2008. Fin clips collected from sampled musky in 2007 and 2008 should be genetically analyzed at Virginia Tech to determine if a unique native stock of musky exists in the New River. Intensive sampling should continue on the lower New during January and February 2009, to continue documentation of natural reproduction. The results of that sampling and the genetic research should be used to develop a long term stocking plan for the lower river. One idea is to base whether to stock and the number to stock on winter surveys of the abundance of the previous years YOY portion of the fishery. Consideration should be given to always stocking advanced fingerlings of at least nine inches to increase the chance of survival. Smaller musky are too easily preyed upon immediately after stocking.
The 650 musky to be stocked in the upper New River in 2008 should be grown to advanced fingerling size as they were in 2007. Those to be stocked in 2009 should also be grown to advanced fingerling size prior to stocking, and also marked in some way to
facilitate an investigation into quantifying natural reproduction. Surveys should occur during the winter of 2009 as time allows, but intensive sampling needs to be a priority in 2010 to look for the marked individuals stocked in 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
