Movements of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) Tracked in Wilson Reservoir, Kansas

Fifteen striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum) weighing between 2.2 and 3.5 kg, were implanted with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked in Wilson Reservoir, Kansas, from April 1980 to July 1981. During the wintering season (November - March), the fish were located in the upper portion of the reservoir and the lower portions of the river. In the spawning season (April - June), some of the striped bass seemed to concentrate near the dam and, late in April, migrate upstream into the upper reaches of the river. Late in that season the fish returned to the area near the dam in the lower reservoir. The striped bass remained in the lower reservoir throughout the feeding season (July October). Five biological centers of activity were identified. The mean depth of water occupied by striped bass during the feeding season (12.5 m) was greater than the mean depths occupied during the wintering and spawning seasons (7.2 m and 5.3 m, respectively). Average rate of movement was highest during the spawning season