Abstract
Age and growth data were compiled on 114 bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, taken from floodwater retarding structure #15 of the Big Creek Watershed project in Craighead and Greene counties of northeast Arkansas. This project was completed in the early 1960's by USDA-SCS. The 73 surface acre lake has not been managed for fish production and has been subjected to unscheduled water level manipulations during dry weather periods. These manipulations have maintained the bluegill population in healthy condition. The oldest bluegill collected were age class IV+. Average condition coefficient K(TL)declined from oldest to youngest individuals (2.96 in age class IV+ - 2.20 in age class I+ ), while numbers in age class declined from the youngest to the oldest within the sample (age class IV+ = 1[0.8%]; age class I+ = 74 [64.9%]). The length-scale radius relationship was L = 9.51 + 46.92S, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.96. The length (60-178 mm)-weight (4.7-1 55. 9g) relationship (Log W = 1 .4 Log L- 1.37) indicates that weight has not increased as the cube of length. The utility of drawdown as a fishery management technique is discussed.
Recommended Citation
Sewell, Stephen A.
(1985)
"Age and Growth of the Bluegill Lepomis macrochrius Rafinesque From an Unmanaged Watershed Lake in Northeast Arkansas with Observations on Lake Ecology,"
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 39, Article 26.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol39/iss1/26
