Tellico Lake - Electrofishing 2010
Sampling dates: May 4 - 5, 2010
Species collected in survey (12 runs, 3.0 hrs total effort):
Black Crappie = 12
White Crappie = 53
Largemouth Bass = 176
Smallmouth Bass = 32
Spotted Bass = 65
Walleye = 2
The TWRA collected 340 game fish while electrofishing various areas of Tellico in 2010. The catch rate for largemouth is increasing while the catch of spotted bass is decreasing. Both of these are good trends. The size structure of largemouth continues to be disappointing with only 17.7 % of the sample being greater than the 14-inch minimum length limit.
Collecting smallmouth in clear reservoirs during the daytime is always a challenge. We collected an average number of smallmouth and only one fish was longer than the 18-inch minimum length limit.
Spotted bass remain abundant throughout the reservoir and anglers are encouraged to harvest this species for the table. They rarely grow to a quality size and compete for food and habitat with the larger and more popular smallmouth and largemouth bass.
An unusually colored channel catfish collected from Tellico Reservoir in 2007
Largemouth bass length frequency
Largemouth bass catch rates
Spotted bass length frequency
Spotted bass catch rates
White crappie length frequency
White crappie catch rates
A Tellico Reservoir flathead/yellow catfish
