1998 Warmwater Fisheries Survey of Mesa Lake (Franklin County)

Mesa Lake (Franklin County) was surveyed by a three person assessment team August 25-26, 1998. Fish were captured by boat electrofishing, gill netting and fyke netting. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) comprised the highest proportion of the catch by number. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and bridgelip sucker (Catostomus columbianus) comprised the highest proportion of the catch by weight. The current state of the fish community can be characterized as unbalanced with a variety of gamefish and non-gamefish species. Currently, the lake is likely to offer only marginal angling opportunity. The lakes connectivity to an extensive irrigation canal system limits fisheries management possibilities. It is very difficult to control the species composition and non-gamefish species densities due to immigration via the irrigation canal system. Management options include adopting the states current 12-17 inch slot-limit for largemouth bass in an effort to improve angling for both largemouth bass and panfish.