Radiotracking Hybrid Striped Bass in Spring Lake, Illinois, to Determine Temperature and Oxygen Preferences

Abstract
Twelve hybrid striped bass (striped bass Morone saxatilis ♀ x white bass M. chrysops ♂) in 101-hectare Spring Lake, Illinois, had temperature-sensitive radio transmitters implanted in April and May 1985 to determine their temperature and oxygen preferenda. Tagged fish, which were monitored weekly from April 25 to September 30, 1985, ranged widely during most of the tracking period. Overall average movements were greater than 25 m/h 56% of the time. During summer stratification, however, fish concentrated in the deeper section of the lake between the old and new dams and moved only 27 m/h during this time, as opposed to 61 m/h before it. During stratification, the fish were confined to a narrow layer of water just above the zone of oxygen depletion, where water temperatures were consistently 2-3°C cooler than near the surface. Fish appeared to prefer oxygen concentrations above 2 mg/L, which often forced them into water temperatures as high as 27°C.

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