Lake Murvaul - 2020 Survey Report

Prepared by Margaret H. Stadig and Timothy J. Bister
Inland Fisheries Division
Marshall District, Texas

This is the authors' summary from a 29-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Lake Murvaul were surveyed using electrofishing in 2018 and 2020, trap netting in 2020, and gill netting in 2021. Historical data are presented with the 2018-2021 data for comparison. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Lake Murvaul is a 3,507-acre impoundment constructed in 1958 on Murvaul Creek in the Sabine River Basin. Structural habitat is mainly inundated timber and natural shoreline features. Native aquatic plant abundance is limited. Invasive plant species have the potential of becoming problematic in Lake Murvaul. During the 2016 vegetation survey, water hyacinth was found on the western side of the FM 1971 bridge and giant salvinia was found in multiple nearshore areas around the lake. No water hyacinth has been seen in recent years, but giant salvinia herbicide treatments are ongoing. A large-scale fish kill occurred in the reservoir during spring 2021. The event impacted numerous species.

Management History

The Largemouth Bass fishery at Lake Murvaul has been a focus of fisheries management efforts for many years. The fishery is currently managed with a 14- to 21-inch protective slot length limit with a 5-fish daily bag, of which only one fish can be greater than 21 inches. Florida Largemouth Bass were stocked in 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 to maintain trophy potential. Other important sport fish include Channel Catfish and crappies, which are managed with statewide harvest regulations.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Threadfin Shad were present in the reservoir. Electrofishing catch of Gizzard Shad has increased compared to previous surveys, and most Gizzard Shad were available as prey to most sport fish. Redbreast Sunfish, Bluegill, and Redear Sunfish provide angling opportunities in addition to their role as a prey fish in the reservoir. Bluegill were the most abundant of the sunfish species during 2020 electrofishing, but their abundance has declined compared to previous surveys. Even so, the abundance of prey fish in the reservoir is excellent.
• Channel Catfish: The catch of Channel Catfish in gill nets more than doubled in 2021 compared to 2017. The population had many fish available to anglers above the 12-inch minimum length limit up, and fish up to 22 inches were collected.
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass were abundant in the 2020 electrofishing survey. Many fish were present within the protective slot length limit. Also, the number of smaller fish increased compared to previous surveys, which was an indication of a stronger year class in 2020. The growth rate of Largemouth Bass has been stable over the last three surveys and fish body condition has been good.
• Crappies: The trap net catch rates for White Crappie and Black Crappie were low. Body condition of White Crappie was good. The growth of Black Crappie was good with fish reaching legal harvest size in 2 years.

Management Strategies

• Continue evaluation of the Largemouth Bass slot limit through population and fishery monitoring. Improve fish habitat by implementing additional native aquatic plant establishment projects.
• Monitor the spread of invasive plants, provide technical guidance to the controlling authority regarding invasive aquatic vegetation management, and consult with TPWD’s Aquatic Habitat Enhancement team on vegetation control as necessary.
• Stock Florida Largemouth Bass every other year to maintain the quality of fishery.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-2 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program