Beaver Lake cat stocking info:

[Quillback]

Biologists completed a stock contribution study on the Beaver Lake Channel Catfish population and there are good numbers of catfish in the lake. AGFC annually stocks 60,000 Channel Catfish (average size of 9 inches) in Beaver Lake to supplement the natural spawn and provide better fishing opportunities. To evaluate stock contribution, AGFC staff from Charlie Craig Hatchery and District Biologists have marked (adipose fin clip) the stocked Channel Catfish for the past five years. Around 270,000 Channel Catfish have been marked and stocked into Beaver Lake in the past 5 years! Staff can determine how these fish contribute to the fishery by sampling the lake with baited hoop nets.

 

Catch rates of Channel Catfish were similar to the long-term average of around 10 catfish per hoop net set. Stocked individuals were caught in large numbers one year after stocking, and were not caught in the lower section of the reservoir near the dam until two years after stocking. Overall stock contribution ranged between 42% and 53%. Compared to their wild conspecifics, stocked Channel Catfish were marginally smaller in total length after age 2, had similar body condition, and showed similar rates of mortality. Our results show that stocking is important to the maintenance of the Channel Catfish fishery in Beaver Lake. 

 

This is a great time to catch Channel Catfish on Beaver Lake and if you catch a fish with the adipose fin missing, send us a picture! jonathan.stein@agfc.ar.gov