Larval Fish Populations In Little Bear Creek Reservoir During The First Three Years Of Impoundment

The data from 3 years of ichthyoplankton sampling during the initial impoundment of Little Bear Creek Reservoir are presented. Trends of percentage composition and abundance are discussed by family and taxon. The Centrarchidae greatly outnumbered other families of fishes throughout the study, while c1upeids failed to become established. Strong year classes of Lepomis and Pomoxis were produced during the first year of impoundment. Relative failures of the second and third years are attributed to lack of spawning success in the case of Lepomis and predation in the case of Pomoxis. The ichthyoplankton data are compared to a preimpoundment adult survey and 3 years of concurrent postimpoundment rotenone surveys.