Species

Rank

Fish Status

BLUEGILL

Very Good

Ringneck Lake appears to harbor a quality Bluegill fishery. A total of 17 Bluegill (204/hour) were collected during the spring electrofishing survey, of which 3 (18%) were at least 8 inches. Mean relative weight of spring-sampled Bluegill was low at 83 but did not result in poor size structure. Mean relative weights appeared to improve as Bluegill reached 6 inches in length. The quality of the Bluegill population in Ringneck Lake is likely driven by the abundance of small bass, which act to thin Bluegill abundance and improve growth rates. The absence of Gizzard Shad is also a factor that is normally correlated with good Bluegill growth.

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Good

Results from the 2022 electrofishing survey suggest that Ringneck Lake harbors an abundance of small bass with relatively few large fish. A total of 47 bass (282/hour) were collected during the 10-minute electrofishing survey, of which all but 3 were under 12 inches in length. Mean relative weight (plumpness) of all bass in the sample was poor at 83. Mean relative weights were poor among all size classes except for bass over 20 inches. Poor bass growth in Ringneck Lake is likely driven by the density of aquatic vegetation, low fertility, and lack of Gizzard Shad. However, management goals at Ringneck Lake should focus on maintaining a quality fishery for Bluegill and Redear. Therefore, poor bass growth and size structure is not a concern, as a dense stock of small bass is needed to thin out panfish and drive up growth rates.

REDEAR SUNFISH

Very Good

Ringneck Lake harbors a good Redear fishery. A total of 29 Redear (348/hour) were collected during spring electrofishing, of which 21% were at least 8 inches, and an additional 12 were captured in fall-set nets. The largest Redear collected was captured in a gill net and measured 10.7 inches. Mean relative weight of spring-sampled Redear was low at 82 but did not result in poor size structure. Mean relative weights were consistently below 90 among all size classes. The quality of the Redear population in Ringneck Lake is likely driven by the abundance of small bass, which act to thin Redear abundance and improve growth rates.