Inter-Relationships of Forage Fish Species and Predator Populations in Lake Rathbun by Larry Mitzner, 1978

(1978) Inter-Relationships of Forage Fish Species and Predator Populations in Lake Rathbun by Larry Mitzner, 1978. Natural Resources, Department of

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Abstract

Fish populations in large onstream Iowa impoundments are characterized by a low prey species diversity and high diversity of predators. At Lake Rathbun gizzard shad and crappie are the only species which consistently produce large numbers of young fish of forage size. The predator population is made up of at least five piscivorous species including walleye, largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and channel catfish. Thus predator wellbeing is dependent upon two forage populations and a failure in reproduction of forage species could drastically reduce production in the predator population.