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Michigan Department of Natural Resources Barry County (T3N, R7W, Sections 30, 31) and (T2N, R7W, Sections 6, 7), (T2N, R8W, Sections 12, 13, 24-26,35) (T1N, R8W, Sections 2,3) Surveyed September 6 and 10, 1991 James L. Dexter, Jr. Environment Highbanks Creek, located in east-central Barry County, is a large second-order
tributary to the Thornapple River (Figure
1). It is designated as top-quality coldwater for the lower two-thirds
of the creek, and as top-quality warmwater for the upper one-third. The
creek empties directly into Thornapple Lake, a natural lake in the Thornapple
River system. The trout water area lies 4 miles due west of the town of
Nashville. Highbanks Creek flows through a mosaic of land uses. Much of the designated
trout stream portion is forested, but interspersed are fallow farm fields
and horse farms. The upper warmwater area contains significantly more
active farms, more horse farms, and less forests. The underlying soils
of the creek are primarily of the Marlette-Oshtemo Association, which
are moderately sloping to steep, well-drained loamy soils. The topography
of the area is slightly rolling to very rolling hills, some being very
steep. The designated trout water is estimated to be 9.2 miles in length. The
warmwater portion of Highbanks Creek is another 6 miles in length. The
source of Highbanks Creek is Bristol Lake in Barry County. The first 6
miles of creek are relatively straight with little meandering. Only a
few small first-order tributaries feed the mainstream. Highbanks Creek
falls 116 feet from Bristol Lake to it's confluence with Thornapple Lake.
The drainage area is 33.9 square miles. Flow measured November 1, 1988
was about 30 cubic feet per second. The trout water portion of Highbanks Creek averages 17 feet in width
and 11 inches in depth. Depths range up to 5 feet. Fish habitat in this
area includes rocks, boulders, riffles, overhanging brush (common), logs
and pools (moderate), and undercut banks (scarce). Overall fish habitat
can be rated as common but not abundant. Bottom substrates determined in the 1991 survey were 12% rock rubble,
40% gravel, 41% sand, and 8% silt. Water quality information collected
in this survey indicated dissolved oxygen greater than 10 ppm, pH of 7-8,
and alkalinity of 205 ppm. These parameters were measured only at Thornapple
Lake Road, near the confluence. Aquatic insects were abundant throughout
the four survey sites and included mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies,
crayfish, amphipods, odonates, and (at Bivens Road only) water pennies. No public ownership exists along the stream corridor. Access is gained
by landowner permission, and there are no known problems with access.
Development in the watershed is limited to very low density residential,
active crop land, and horse farms. Highbanks Creek has been managed as a trout stream only since 1974. No
stocking occurred previous to that date. About 2,200 brown trout yearlings
have been stocked at 4-5 sites (115/acre) every year since 1974. The earliest
survey on record was conducted in 1967. Sampled were two sites in what
is now classified as the warmwater area, and one site in the trout water.
The recommendation at that time was to manage as an "intermediate" stream,
which is in-between coldwater and warmwater. In 1973 another survey was
conducted to investigate the potential for trout management. This survey
was much more thorough than the 1967 survey, but the species composition
was virtually the same. Table 1 lists the species captured in 1973. None
of the species listed in that table were deemed to be overly abundant. Because of the low abundance of species found in the 1973 survey and
the favorable water temperatures in the lower portions of the creek, a
trout stocking program was started without conducting a chemical reclamation.
Follow-up surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of trout stocking occurred
in 1975, 1976, and 1979. Table 3 presents catch-per-hour data for trout
from surveys from 1975 to 1991. The trout population did very well in
the early years of the stocking program, but declined slowly over time.
Angler complaints of poor fishing and intense competition from other species
started coming into the District office in 1986. A rotenone reclamation
was tentatively planned pending the results of a 1988 survey. The catch
of trout per hour was found to be down considerably, to 8.5, and there
appeared to be considerable competition from other species. Therefore,
a rotenone treatment was carried out in the fall of 1988. An estimated 117.9 pounds of fish per acre were killed during the treatment.
Creek chubs and white suckers were the most abundant and accounted for
71% of the total fish biomass. Brown trout accounted for less than 4%
of the biomass. A follow up evaluation survey was done in 1991 at the same four sites
surveyed in the previous four surveys. A 250-Volt D.C. streamshocker was
used to sample fish. It should be noted here that a 40% decrease in stocking
levels occurred in 1990 because substantial natural reproduction by brown
trout was observed during the rotenone reclamation. While reproduction
was good, it was not good enough to support the level of fishery that
the creek could accommodate. Benefits of the rotenone treatment, if any, were short lived. The catch
rate of brown trout in 1991 was up from that of the 1988 survey but was
not as high as in the 1970s nor as high as anticipated (Table 2). Many
other species of fish were collected (Table 3). The 1988 and 1991 surveys
captured the same number of species, 25, but four species were different.
Catch per hour of all species at all sites was 573 in 1989 and was still
relatively high, 344, in 1991. Either the rotenone treatment failed to
kill all fish, or immigrantion from Thornapple Lake and upstream was extremely
quick. It is unfortunate that a follow up survey was not conducted in
1989, when benefits probably were most apparent. By spring 1990 I observed
many species of fish between Scott and Bivens Road. Although many different species are in Highbanks Creek today, the abundance
of most of those species is considered low and they probably do not significantly
effect trout. I have fished Highbanks Creek each year since 1990, and
can state that the brown trout fishery is second to none. Catch rates
of trout by myself and another biologist consistently approach three trout
per hour, with sizes ranging from 6 to 17 inches. In 1991 I caught two
brook trout of hatchery origin that must have been mixed up with stocked
brown trout. One brook trout was 14 inches long. Based on scale analysis, it was determined that almost half of the trout
collected in 1991 were wild. The decision on whether a fish was of hatchery
or wild origin was based on location and distinctness of the first annulus,
and occurrence of regenerated scales. Brown trout collected in 1991 ranged
from 4 to 11 inches. Recruitment of young-of- the-year brown trout was
poor in 1991. Growth of all brown trout was very good, 1.0 inch above
the State average growth rate. The stocking of brown trout yearlings in Highbanks Creek should continue
annually at the rate of 90 per acre. This rate is providing an excellent
fishery which I can attest to. While Barry County has several designated
trout streams, the rough terrain of some portions of Highbanks Creek makes
it unique. Our goal into the next century should be to maintain the fishery at its
present level or increase it when possible and practical. Continued low
stocking rates should help provide for increased survival of wild trout
because of lessened competition. Reclamation with rotenone does not appear to be a practical management
tool for the creek. Unless the entire watershed were treated and a fish
barrier installed near the confluence, any future treatment would likely
have about the same result as the 1988 treatment. Monitoring of the fishery
by anglers and electrofishing surveys should continue to keep us appraised
of the health of the fishery. Report completed: January 1993 Table 1.-Fish species captured in 1973 by electroshocking Highbanks
Creek, Barry County.
Table 2.-Catch of brown trout by electrofishing at four sites
on Highbanks Creek, Barry County, in five surveys.
Table 3.-Species, relative abundance, and length of fish collected
by electrofishing at four sites on Highbanks Creek, September 1991.
Last Update: 08/05/02
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