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Lower Little River, Spring Lake NC

Started by Guest_catfishcain_* , Feb 10 2012 05:14 PM

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#1 Guest_catfishcain_*

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Posted 10 February 2012 - 05:14 PM

Has anyone collected, sampled or surveyed the fish in the Lower Little River in North Carolina? I'd love to know what all can be found there.

Around the start of Feb I tried around the N Bragg Blvd bridge there in Spring Lake and caught several Costal Shiners, Eastern Mosquitofish, and a pickerel that was less then 1.5" (unknown if chain or redfin but its the one in the pic). Mostly caught them all at night. Also seen several Bluegill swimming around and other sunfish that were about an inch in length but I was unable to ID them.

New to the site so I hope this is the correct forum, sorry if its not.

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#2 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 10 February 2012 - 05:54 PM

That's in Cape Fear sub-basin 14 (NC-DWQ sub-basin numbering). Below is NC-DWQ's fish sampling list from CFR-14. I would also expect Etheo. fusiforme, and probably some additional shiners farther east towrad the main-stem Cape Fear: Lux. albeolis, N. amoenus, N. hudsonius, N. scepticus, Cyp. analostana, C. nivea ...

I think your Esox is a redfin, but I'm not real good at separating them at that size.

Acantharchus pomotis
Ameiurus natalis
Ameiurus platycephalus
Amia calva
Anguilla rostrata
Aphredoderus sayanus
Centrarchus macropterus
Elassoma zonatum
Enneacanthus chaetodon
Enneacanthus gloriosus
Erimyzon oblongus
Esox americanus
Esox niger
Etheostoma olmstedi
Etheostoma serrifer
Gambusia holbrooki
Lepomis auritus
Lepomis cyanellus
Lepomis gibbosus
Lepomis gulosus
Lepomis macrochirus
Lepomis marginatus
Lepomis microlophus
Micropterus punctulatus
Micropterus salmoides
Minytrema melanops
Moxostoma collapsum
Nocomis leptocephalus
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Notropis altipinnis
Notropis cummingsae
Notropis petersoni
Noturus gyrinus
Noturus insignis
Perca flavescens
Percina crassa
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Pylodictis olivaris
Semotilus atromaculatus
Semotilus lumbee
Umbra pygmaea

#3 Guest_catfishcain_*

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Posted 11 February 2012 - 12:59 PM

Nice, thank you.
I had found a list of North Carolina fish species along with the river basins their found in. But some of those species are only found on certain parts of the Cape Fear and trying to find a map showing the range of each species is hard if your even lucky to find one at all.
I'd agree with ya on it being a Redfin Pickerel as well. For the fact of the snout length not exceeding the distance from the back of eye to the edge of the gill cover. But like you said its hard to be 100% positive when their so small. If only the bar under the eye was solid and present it would be alot easier.

#4 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 11 February 2012 - 03:41 PM

Nice, thank you.
I had found a list of North Carolina fish species along with the river basins their found in. But some of those species are only found on certain parts of the Cape Fear and trying to find a map showing the range of each species is hard if your even lucky to find one at all.
I'd agree with ya on it being a Redfin Pickerel as well. For the fact of the snout length not exceeding the distance from the back of eye to the edge of the gill cover. But like you said its hard to be 100% positive when their so small. If only the bar under the eye was solid and present it would be alot easier.

If you don't know about this, Natureserve has a clickable map that breaks the drainages down a bit more. Just find the subdrainage you are in, click it, and up pops a window of species present. Hopefully that helps you narrow it down.

I also agree with the Redfin ID

#5 Guest_catfishcain_*

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Posted 23 February 2012 - 05:58 PM

An update to the fish species I've caught from the river there at the North Ft. Bragg Blvd bridge... Spotted Bass, Dollar Sunfish (Bluegills 50% and Dollar Sunfish 50% of the sunfish caught at the site), Whitefin Shiner, and a Tessellated Darter. I've also spotted Largemouth Bass, an Eastern Mudminnow (which came loose when bringing it to shore and the little guy landed half on land and half in the river and quickly swam back into the current before I could grab it). Im almost certain I seen another species of darter but couldn't make out a positive ID.
I've been spotting larger numbers of fish every time it rains and the waters start to return to normal.
Oh, now I haven't looked lately but have seen several Dwarf Waterdogs. Even caught one on hook and line thinking it was a Madtom when it shot out from under a rock I lifted up near shore while in search for Madtoms. Haven't seen any Madtoms yet but not giving up.

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#6 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 23 February 2012 - 07:40 PM

The other most likely darter there beside tesselated, in flowing water, will be Percina crassa the Piedmont darter.
I'm surprised youre not getting redbreast sunfish too. Little redbreasts and dollars look fairly similar.

#7 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 11:19 AM

You should also find thinlips chub in Little River

#8 Guest_catfishcain_*

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 05:21 PM

The other most likely darter there beside tesselated, in flowing water, will be Percina crassa the Piedmont darter.
I'm surprised youre not getting redbreast sunfish too. Little redbreasts and dollars look fairly similar.

You know now that you say something, I do believe I've caught maybe 3 or so small sunfish that I thought didn't quite fully look like a dollar sunfish or a bluegill. And after doing a quick search of juvenile redbreast sunfish Im pretty sure now that they were robins.

Hey does anyone happen to know the subspecies of Tesselated Darters found in this area. I know the E. o. maculaticeps has a range from Florida up to the Cape Fear River but the other subspecies (E. o. olmstedi & E. o. atromaculatum) I can't find much info on their ranges. I know there are no E. o. vexillare in the area which happen to be endemic to the Rappahannock River I believe.

I've been hoping to catch a Thinlip Chub but like the Tadpole and Margined Madtom they elude me.

#9 Guest_Auban_*

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Posted 08 April 2012 - 12:03 PM

If you want madtoms, head toward raeford along raeford road(401). Turn left at the middle school, (club pond road). Turn left again at rockfish and stop at the first stream you see. You will be at beaver creek. At this point you will need a good set of waders. The area behind the dam, in your left side coming from club pond road, is a beaver damn pond/swamp. If you can get back there to where the water is flowing over the weeds and such, you will be able to net up plenty of madtoms. Just look for the areas with the most grass and gently slide your net through it. I got several there yesterday. You can also find bluespot sunfish and ironcolor dace.