While this article refers to Cedar Creek as a lake, it is actually a reservoir built in 1965 to provide water for residents. Located near Dallas and Athens in Texas, this reservoir encompasses around 32,000 acres (13,000 hectares) of land. In addition, there are many small local parks, dining, and retail locations, as well as public and private boat ramps that allow access to the water.
The most common sportfish in the reservoir are largemouth bass, many large catfish species, temperate basses, and crappies. In addition, the reservoir and its surrounding land are home to songbirds, otters, foxes, and various reptiles. Fortunately for anglers, water birds congregate above schools of bass, allowing anglers to spot where to fish quickly. Additionally, aquatic vegetation is more abundant in the sprawling arms of the reservoir rather than in the open water in the reservoir’s main body. So, anglers looking for small or reclusive sportfish may want to venture into the creek arms, and those looking for large sportfish that frequent deep, open waters may prefer the main body.
Despite its beautiful natural area, the reservoir is not without its issues. Cedar Creek Reservoir is subject to sedimentation, pollution, and excess algal growth due to increased nutrient input into the lake from urban and agricultural areas.
Fish Species in Cedar Creek Lake
1) Temperate basses (Morone spp.)
Two temperate basses are native to Cedar Creek Lake. These species are the white bass (M. chrysops) and the yellow bass (M. mississippiensis). Species in this genus are known to hybridize with each other, which can make exact species identifications difficult. The easiest way to tell the two species apart is through color. White bass are silver, whereas yellow bass are yellow. Yellow bass, with an average length of 9.4 in (23.9 cm), are also smaller on average than white bass at 12.5 in (31.8 cm). Hybrid striped bass (M. saxatilis x M. chrysops) are also routinely stocked in Cedar Creek Lake, adding to the identification confusion.
Yellow bass prefer open water with little or no vegetation. Comparatively, white bass prefer shallow areas with abundant aquatic vegetation. Both species consume invertebrates as juveniles and small fish as adults.
Temperate basses are scatter spawners and do not make a nest. Instead, they congregate in large groups, migrating upstream to swift streams before mating. Once in spawning territory, females release thousands of sticky eggs that settle in the substrate and then males fertilize them.
Cedar Creek Lake is an excellent choice for any would-be temperate bass anglers. The daily bag limit for white bass is 25 per day in Texas. Anglers may harvest up to 10 striped bass (including hybrids) per day, only 2 of which may be over 20 inches (51 cm) in length.
2) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Bluegills are popular panfish with brown bodies and fins tipped with blue and orange. Males are more colorful than females. They used to be extremely popular like the largemouth and smallmouth bass, but are no longer routinely stocked on their own. However, they are suitable to stock alongside those larger species as a food source.
Bluegills primarily consume insects and only occasionally eat other small fish. As a result, they bioaccumulate fewer toxic metals and can be safer to eat.
Spawning occurs in warm water between May and July. The male will construct and guard a nest throughout the season until the eggs hatch. Male bluegills tend to be particularly aggressive during the breeding season, and while they are not dangerous, they will try to attack swimmers if they come too close to the nest.
3) Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Lepomis cyanellus is a small, green sunfish with an iridescent, blue-speckled pattern and an ear spot just above its pectoral fin. They also have yellow to white edging along their pelvic and anal fins. An average green sunfish will be around 7.9 inches (20 cm). Although they rarely grow large enough to make a decent catch, they are considered delicious panfish.
To catch a green sunfish, an angler should try for fish in areas with abundant aquatic vegetation and refugia in the form of sunken wooden debris. One source suggests placing live bait on a bobber rig, such as a worm or crickets.
Green sunfish are nest spawners, a trait that is characteristic of sunfish. The green sunfish diet mainly consists of aquatic invertebrates, although they sometimes predate upon smaller fish. When introduced to a water body, green sunfish compete with other invertivores and have been responsible for several local extirpations of native species.
4) Other true sunfish (Lepomis spp.)
Cedar Creek Lake is home to several other Lepomis sunfish including but not limited to the warmouth (L. gulosus), the orangespotted sunfish (L. humulis), and the redbreast sunfish (L. auritus). The warmouth earns its name from its enormous mouth, allowing this Lepomis species to eat larger fish than other species in the Lepomis genus. These fish are usually brown with red and orange hues, although orangespotted sunfish are far more colorful.
The orangespotted sunfish has vibrant iridescent blue and red patterns. As the name suggests, this fish is donned with many orange specks. Redbreast sunfish are beautiful sunfish with a striking blue pattern and orange bellies. They are similar in appearance to orangespotted sunfish, but the two species are unlikely to be found within the same range. Redbreast sunfish have a long ear spot on the edge of their operculum (the flap that covers their gills).
Their small size, around 3 inches (7.6 cm), makes these species more valuable as prey for sportfish than as sportfish themselves. In addition, they predate heavily on aquatic insects, a trait shared amongst most true sunfish, and help control insect populations.
In several states, especially Texas, the redbreast sunfish have been introduced outside of their native range, where they compete with other native sunfish species and are a species of ecological threat. Besides competition, other concerns include the spread of diseases and parasites to native species, competition for nest sites, and hybridization.
5) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
The United States’ most popular sportfish is the largemouth bass. Their high popularity among sport fishers led this eastern United States native to become introduced and widely distributed throughout the country. Largemouth bass are giant sunfish, but their common name refers more to the size of their mouths and their capacity to consume large prey items. On average, a largemouth bass reaches around 16 inches (41 cm), but they can grow to be up to 38 inches (97 cm).
Largemouth bass prefer transparent bodies of water with abundant submerged vegetation, which provides ample hunting ground and cover. This species will hide amongst aquatic plants to ambush unsuspecting prey items. Such prey items might include other fish, amphibians, leeches, insects, small mammals, and birds.
When fishing for largemouth bass, live bait works best. Potential bait items might include smaller sunfish or native shad; be sure to target areas near aquatic weed beds. Texas anglers may keep up to 5 fish if those fish are over 14 inches (36 cm) in length.
6) Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
Freshwater drums are perch-like, silvery fish with a rounded caudal fin. This trait can help distinguish them from perches which usually possess slightly forked caudal fins. In addition, a defining characteristic of the freshwater drum is the presence of a complete lateral line that extends into its caudal fin.
The most striking feature of the freshwater drum is its unusual teeth which look like a series of molars and are specially designed to crack open sturdy mollusk shells. These teeth are not uncommon in other species of fish, but they are particularly pronounced in freshwater drums. In addition, this species can produce a deep, throaty noise that they use to scare off predators and communicate. This action is made possible because they have particular muscles to vibrate their swim bladder.
This species can be large and achieve a maximum weight of around 50 pounds (23 kg). They are bottom dwellers and eat similar prey as catfish, which can be identical in size. Their bottom-feeding diet includes insects, fish, crayfish, and mollusks. Freshwater drums enjoy slow currents in deep reservoirs and lakes. Spawning occurs in schools annually from late spring to early summer. Thousands of offspring are produced in one spawning event and left to fend for themselves in the open water.
There are no regulations for freshwater drums in Texas as of January 2023.
7) Smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)
Occasionally, an angler may reel up a chunky sucker known as a smallmouth buffalo. This species can grow to monstrous sizes, making them an excellent catch if an angler snags a large individual. They have large, bulbous heads, forked tails, and large scales. While they resemble a non-native European carp, this species is native to the United States and distantly related.
Smallmouth buffalo possess bony plates in their throats, which they use to break open the tough shells of mollusks. In addition, they will eat algae and plant material. Shellfish and algae make up the bulk of a smallmouth buffalo’s diet. Very little is known about their reproductive habits, although their breeding season is thought to be in the spring, and they are broadcast spawners, meaning that they deposit their eggs in the substrate and provide very little parental care.
Like other carp species, the smallmouth buffalo is edible and is sometimes marketed as a food fish. There are no regulations for smallmouth buffalo in Texas as of January 2023.
8) Crappie (Pomoxis spp.)
While not the largest sportfish, crappies can still be exciting fish for anglers to catch. The common name “crappie” refers to two species in the genus Pomoxis, black (P. nigromaculatus) and white crappie (P. annularis). Species within this genus are distinguished from other sunfish species by spiny gill covers. Cedar Creek Lake is home to both species. The two species differ in coloration, which is the primary way to tell them apart. The white crappie has a silver coloration with black bars, and the black crappie has an abundance of dark spots along the body, which gives this species an overall darker appearance.
Both species are predators that hunt for small fish and invertebrates at dawn and dusk. White crappies lay their eggs on aquatic vegetation, while black crappies are nest spawners. Male black crappies construct a nest in the sediment of a water body for females to deposit their eggs. Males exhibit short periods of parental care, protecting eggs laid by females in the male’s nest for around five days.
They are not difficult to catch and can be fished using a variety of rigs and strategies, like classic bobbers and spider rigging. Anglers may catch and keep up to 25 crappies per day in Texas, provided that those crappies are at least 10 inches (25.4 cm) in length.
9) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
The most popular sport catfish is the channel catfish or the channel cat. This species has a forked tail and a round anal fin instead of a straight one. This characteristic can help distinguish it from the blue catfish, which has a straight anal fin. Channel catfish are also generally smaller than blue (Ictalurus furcatus) or flathead (Pylodictis olivaris) catfishes, with an average length of 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 cm).
Young channel catfish consume invertebrates while the adults consume a broader array of prey items like crabs, small fish, and mollusks. This species’ reproductive cycle is temperature-dependent and initiated by warm water temperatures of at least 75°F (23.9°C). When temperatures are favorable, male channel catfish find nesting areas in a cave-like shelter which females visit to lay their eggs. Males protect and care for the eggs until they hatch.
The National Parks Service suggests using live fish and nightcrawlers to catch a tasty channel catfish. However, they will accept a variety of meat-based bait, from squid and shrimp to hotdogs and processed bait.
Anglers may harvest up to 25 channel or blue catfish combined in Texas daily, but only ten may be greater than 20 inches (51 cm).
10) Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)
Flathead catfish have a peculiar appearance compared to other catfish species on this list. They possess a significant underbite which makes this species look unique. This catfish is mottled, olive-colored, and immature individuals may appear black, so young fish may be confused with bullheads as they can both be dark in color. Still, bullhead catfish do not possess the flathead’s unique lower jaw at any age. Flatheads are one of the largest catfish species, with an average length of 30 inches (76 cm) and weights exceeding 100 pounds (45 kg), so adults are difficult to confuse with any other species.
Flatheads are sedentary, nocturnal hunters that spend most of their time in deep pools. When hunting, they will travel to shallower areas in search of prey, so anglers can find this species in shallower areas of the lake at night. This species primarily consumes invertebrates and fish. They spawn once in early to mid-summer.
Some examples of excellent bait fish include smaller sunfish, mudcats, or other appropriately sized bait fish. Once caught, anglers typically filet flatheads and cook them, but anglers should be wary of any catfish as most species possess hollow dorsal and pectoral spines that can deliver a painful sting. Texas anglers may harvest up to 5 flathead catfish per day as long as they are at least 18 inches (46 cm) in length.
11) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
With a current record weight of 143 lbs (65 kg), the blue catfish is the largest catfish species in North America. However, the typical blue catfish will reach an average weight of around 4 pounds (2kg). Not quite monstrous, but still sizeable…and delicious! They possess a deeply forked caudal fin which distinguishes them from bullheads. They are similar in appearance to the channel catfish, but the edges of their anal fins can help identify this species. In blue catfish, the anal fin is generally straight. In channel catfish, the anal fin is somewhat rounded.
This species thrives in clear streams with abundant prey items, like invertebrates and small fish. They have small eyes and poor eyesight, so blue catfish rely on their sensitive barbels to detect prey items in the water column or hide in the substrate. They reproduce annually in the spring.
Blue catfish are a popular sport and food fish. They are well known for their flavor, and because they feed primarily from the water column and less from the substrate, they tend to taste better than species that are bottom-feeding specialists. One source recommends using fresh fish, shrimp, chicken liver, or processed catfish bait to get a blue catfish on the line.
Anglers may harvest up to 25 channel or blue catfish combined in Texas daily, but only ten may be greater than 20 inches (51 cm).
12) Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)
Yellow bullheads can be found in rivers and lakes with calm water and soft substrates like mud, sand, or vegetation. They are also pollution-tolerant, making them excellent at adapting to human environments like impoundments. They also love warm water with thick vegetation.
This species hunts for small insects, mollusks, and crustaceans such as clams and crabs at night. Additionally, adults will consume small fish, frogs, and tadpoles. They are a smaller bullhead species with an average adult length of 9.8 inches (25 cm).
Mature adults spawn in shallow water during the breeding season, which lasts from May to June. Both parents may participate in building a nest, but only the male remains after mating to guard the eggs.
13) Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas)
These small catfish are rarely large enough to excite an angler, but they are edible and fun to catch for beginners. Adult black bullheads are around 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm) in length.
Black bullheads are predominantly dark-colored catfish with yellow-olive underbellies. Like the yellow bullhead, the black bullhead has an expansive range stretching from northern Mexico into southern Canada. They can be found in warm, turbid water bodies with soft, muddy substrates, and they prefer slow currents but do not do well in areas with other predatory fish.
Young black bullheads eat insect larvae and other small invertebrates, whereas adults consume a variety of organisms, including mollusks, plants, and fish. During the breeding season, which lasts from May to June, females construct nests, but both sexes protect the young.
There are no harvest limits on bullheads in Texas.
14) Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
The spotted gar is covered in spots along its sides, fins, and head, and anglers can use these spots to distinguish them from other gar species. One clue that may help anglers identify spotted gar is the presence of spots on the head. Comparatively, the alligator gar has a blunt, thick snout without spotting on its head, making it easily distinguishable from the spotted gar.
The spotted gar is still long-lived compared to other fish, although they do not live nearly as long as the larger alligator gar. A healthy spotted gar may live to 18 years old and grow to an average of 3 feet long.
A calm, vegetated stream might contain a few spotted gar hiding amongst the vegetation using their classic sit-and-wait hunting strategy. While they are primarily freshwater hunters, they are also capable of hunting in brackish water. Despite being voracious predators, spotted gar are not at the top of the food chain. Spotted gar are essential prey for alligators, predatory birds, and even piscivorous snakes like the cottonmouth.
15) Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula)
The largest gar species is the alligator gar. In addition, it is long-lived, capable of living longer than 50 years. The largest alligator gar ever caught measures nearly 8.5 feet (2.6 m), although they have been known to exceed that length in the wild. Not only are alligator gar popular sportfish, but they are also stunning to observe and often attract visitors looking for a chance to watch one. Alligator gar are generalist carnivores known to eat crabs, turtles, birds, and small mammals. They are important apex predators in most fish communities. They are easy to identify compared to other gar species because the alligator gar has a blunter and broader snout resembling an alligator. They only co-occur with slender gar species, which have thinner snouts and smaller body sizes.
Female alligator gar mature at five to ten years of age. Compared to other sportfish, like sunfish or carp, which sexually mature within a year or two and reproduce often, alligator gars take considerably longer to reach this life stage and reproduce sparingly. They also live far longer than most other predatory fish. As a result, management practices to maintain healthy alligator gar fisheries are different from most other predatory gamefish.
16) Bowfin (Amia calva)
The bowfin is considered a “primitive” fish species, meaning that, like gar and paddlefish, they are descendants of an ancient group of fish. As a result, they have a few unique adaptations that make them an exciting species to research. For one, their swim bladder is covered in blood vessels that allow oxygen exchange with the air, like lungs in mammals. This adaptation enables bowfin to inhale oxygen above the water’s surface, facilitating life in bodies of water with low oxygen levels where other fish may not survive.
Bowfins reproduce annually in late spring to early summer. Male bowfin exhibit involved parental care. They construct a nest, care for the eggs, and aggressively defend the eggs and fry from potential predators for an extended period. Male bowfins make such great parents that other fish species, like golden shiners (N. crysoleucas), sometimes lay their eggs in bowfin nests. Unable to tell the difference, the male bowfin cares for all eggs within his nest as if they were his own. At the top of the food chain, bowfins consume various insects and other fish, including members of their species. Few animals, besides other bowfins, predate upon larger individuals.
Anglers sometimes seek out this species not for food but because it is powerful. Therefore, enormous individuals are a feat to catch.
17) American gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)
Gizzard shad are generally small, silver fish. On average, they are around 13 inches (33 cm) in length. They are laterally compressed, meaning that they are flattened vertically. Additionally, gizzard shad possess a trailing ray off their dorsal fin. Juveniles have a large black dot near their gill covers that fades as the fish ages. Unlike their close relative, the threadfin shad, the lower jaw of the American gizzard shad does not extend beyond the upper jaw. In addition, American gizzard shads are more tolerant to cold water and are distributed throughout eastern North America.
This species is usually found in freshwater habitats, although some populations are in saltwater and freshwater. For these populations, the shad spends most of their time in the saltwater and migrate to freshwater rivers to spawn.
The breeding season for this species occurs in the spring and summer months. Females mate with multiple males and do not perform any parental care. Due to their abundance and small size, shad are important prey species for larger predatory fish. Juvenile shad are especially important. As juveniles, their diet consists of zooplankton and filtered organic material.
Gizzard shad are often used as bait.
