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High water conditions will be on hand in many areas of Arkansas for weeks to come. This scene is on the White River at Maddox Bay, near Holly Grove. (Keith Stephens Photo) High water provides fertile spawning ground for fish Saturday, Apr 26, 2008 By Joe Mosby Prolonged high water from heavy rains this spring could pay dividends for Arkansas anglers in years to come. "We ought to have some really good (fish) spawns with this continued high water," said Mike Armstrong, the chief of fisheries for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. In general, fish spawn in shallow areas, so when rivers and lakes are flooded and spread out of their banks and shorelines, spawning may take place in areas that normally are dry land. But if the water goes back down quickly, that can mean fish nests with eggs left high and dry. That isn't likely to happen this year, Armstrong said, with the prediction of continued high water in many parts of Arkansas. Following and coupled to the flooding of most rivers in Arkansas, the Mississippi River has rolled heavy amounts of water down from the north. A result is the Mississippi is so high that tributaries like the St. Francis River, Arkansas River and White River can't drain into it. They remain high and prevent the draining from smaller rivers and creeks across the state. Yes, the high river levels are dropping - slowly. It may be mid-summer before many of them are back to normal, observers have predicted. In these high water areas, fish can move into brush, weeds and even trees for spawning. "All this water is also bringing food into the water, nutrients for fish to feed on," Armstrong said. The high water pattern is all across the state but is more pronounced in Northeast Arkansas. Northwest and Central Arkansas have high water, and South Arkansas has less of it. One fisherman laughed about fishing in the picnic area of a Greers Ferry Lake recreational area, joking, "People will be finding lost lures hooked to the picnic tables when the water finally goes down." The spawning that will benefit from the high water is that of warm water fish, Arkansas' native fish. Trout are coldwater fish, and they spawn in the fall, although rainbow trout, book trout and cutthroat trout seldom are successful in spawning in Arkansas waters. There is some spawning of brown trout in the White River and Little Red River. The earliest spawning for Arkansas native fish is walleye, and they have already completed their nesting and egg laying. The walleye spawn time is usually March. Black bass, meaning largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, spawn a little later, along with bream and crappie. Catfish are late spring spawners. "The way things stand now, we should really see results from this year's spawn in about three years. It will pay off then (with improved fishing)," Armstrong said. Natural fish reproduction in Arkansas is supplemented by man's efforts through two avenues. One is fish hatchery production and the other is fish nursery ponds adjacent to many lakes. The heavy rains and high water haven't affected the state fish hatcheries appreciably. They can stick to planned production schedules for 2008. Some nursery ponds may have received floodwaters, causing delays in planned fish crops, but most of Arkansas' flooding has been on rivers. High water on lakes has been spread out more. Nursery ponds produce fish with adult brood fish nesting and laying eggs in the spring. The young fish, called fry, then are released later, usually in summer, by opening gates and letting them flow with water directly into the lakes. The young fish from hatcheries around the state are loaded into trucks with tanks and driven to the desired release spots. -------- Joe Mosby is the retired news editor of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas' best known outdoor writer. His work is distributed by the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. He can be reached by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com. |
