Currently, Fish and Game manages each of the Chain Lakes as an independent fishery, with lake-specific harvest regulations for largemouth bass and other species. This study seeks to determine whether that long-standing management approach aligns with how bass actually use the system. 

“If bass movements among the lakes are occurring, this study will help us better understand how that could impact management options moving forward,” said Mike Thomas, Regional Fisheries Biologist for the Panhandle Region.

The study involves capturing largemouth bass, recording their length and weight, surgically implanting tracking transmitters, releasing the fish in the lake where they were caught and monitoring their movements over the next year.