The Warmwater Fish Communities of Four Lakes Surveyed in Fall, 2003: McIntosh Lake, Munn Lake, and Offut Lake in Thurston County, and Ohop Lake in Pierce County

Four lakes were surveyed in the fall of 2003: Munn Lake in Thurston County, Ohop Lake in Pierce County, McIntosh Lake in Thurston County, and Offut Lake, also in Thurston County. Each survey was conducted by a three-person crew using multiple gear types: electrofishing, gillnetting, and fyke-netting. The Munn Lake sample was the smallest numerically and least diverse, with only five species represented. The sample from Ohop Lake was the most diverse, with 11 fish taxa. The McIntosh and Offut samples had seven and nine taxa, respectively. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were the only two species common to all five lakes. The data show a possible link between increased harvest opportunity and reduced condition of the warmwater fish community.