Here is an excerpt from our District newsletter talking about the netting we have been doing on Norfork Lake to try to sample the crappie. I thought you all might be interested in reading about it.


Norfork Lake Crappie Sampling

In the past, biologists in District 2 have tried to sample crappie using trap nets (mini fyke nets) in Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake. After many unsuccessful years, District 2 biologists finally abandoned efforts to sample crappie using these nets and focused on monitoring angler catches. Trap nets are highly effective at sampling crappie in shallow reservoirs with tea-colored water where crappie orient more to the bottom and/or shallow cover and can be tied to the shoreline. Crappie in deep, highland reservoirs like Bull Shoals and Norfork typically suspend over deep water and/or cover and inhabit shallow areas during short periods of the year.

During a meeting with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, they presented a new net called a lead net to sample crappie in reservoirs. Lead nets can be set at any depth and away from the shore. The AGFC decided to try these nets across the state to determine their effectiveness for sampling crappie in Arkansas. In District 2, Norfork Lake was chosen to be sampled with lead nets.

The Bennett’s arm of the lake was selected due to its productivity and reputation as a crappie hot spot. The protocol is to set six lead nets for one week each month from September through January in an effort to determine optimal sampling temperature for crappie. At the beginning of the week, the six nets are randomly distributed in15 feet or less of water in the Bennett’s River arm. The nets are allowed to soak for 48 hours. Then each net is retrieved and the crappie are removed. The nets are then moved to the Bennett’s Bayou arm and same process is repeated.

From September to December, we caught 1,094 crappie (1,015 black crappie and 79 white crappie). Black Crappie ranged in size from 5 to 14 inches (average: 7 inches). White Crappie range in size from 4 to 14 inches (average: 10 inches).

We are excited to potentially have a method to sample crappie in highland reservoirs. In addition to crappie, we caught numerous Flathead Catfish (up to 50 pounds), Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Walleye (up to 27 inches) and even a Striped Bass. Next year, we will be shifting our efforts to Bull Shoals Lake to see if we can effectively sample crappie there.

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