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William R. Nelson

Publications and source records attributed to William R. Nelson.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1974

Age, growth, sexual maturity, and food of channel catfish in central Lake Oahe, 1968-69

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus , were collected with gill nets, trawl, and trap nets at three localities in Lake Oahe for the study of year-class strength, growth in length and weight, age composition, sexual maturity, and food. Fish were recruited to all the collection gears at age II. Relatively strong year classes were produced in 1962, 1965, and 1966. Youngest fish were captured in the upper end of the Moreau River embayment, which apparently serves as a nursery area. Growth of age 0 fish was poor probably because the growing season was short; optimum spawning temperature were not reached until mid-summer. Growth of age II and older fish reached a peak in 1963 and declined rather steadily in 1964-68. Males began to mature at age VIII, and all fish of both sexes were mature at age XI. The diet changed from zooplankton to fish as channel catfish increased in length; aquatic insects (primarily chironomid larvae and pupae) were important foods for fish of all sizes. Fish less than 300 mm long selected large zooplankters -- Leptodora kindtii and Daphnia spp -- over smaller copepods. Larger channel catfish ate principally yellow perch, Perca flavescens .

Technical Paper↗
USGS1974

Goldeye, Hiodon alosoides, in Lake Oahe: abundance, age, growth, maturity, food, and the fishery, 1963-69

Reproductive success was relatively consistent, and adequate to maintain species abundance at a nearly constant level, during 1963-69. Both abundance and growth in length increased from the lower to the upper portion of the reservoir. In most characteristics -- growth in length, length-weight relation, age at maturity, and food -- goldeye in Lake Oahe were similar to those from other Missouri River impoundments. Experimental gill nets samples all lengths (range 80-460 mm; median, 320 mm) of goldeye, bottom trawls sampled mostly small fish, (median, 215 mm) and trap nets large ones (median, 345 mm). Commercial gill nets were highly size selective (median, 375 mm); fish of ages IV-VII made up 90% of the catch. Survival rates were 57 to 52% for ages II-X. Estimated survival rates for ages V-IX declined from 44 to 35% after the inception of the commercial fishery in 1966. The peak commercial catch was 151,432 kg (1.2 kg/hectare) in 1969. Unless recruitment declines, the population can support a fishery of that magnitude.

Technical Paper↗