INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION ON AGE-0 WHITE BASS ABUNDANCE IN 2 SOUTH-DAKOTA NATURAL LAKES

Age-0 white bass (Morone chrysops) were sampled during late summer-ear ly fall from 1984 to 1993 in Enemy Swim and Pickerel lakes, South Dako ta, with a bottom trawl. Age-0 white bass catch per unit effort (CPUE) among years was correlated (r = 0.69; (P) under bar = 0.027) between these two natural lakes, indicating that environmental factors were li kely affecting white bass recruitment similarly in the two water bodie s. Therefore, we assessed climatological variables to help explain var iability in abundance of age-0 white bass among years. Age-0 white bas s abundance was positively correlated with mean daily air temperature during June in both Enemy Swim (r = 0.63; (P) under bar = 0.051) and P ickerel (r = 0.62; (P) under bar = 0.056) lakes. In addition, multiple regression analysis indicated that precipitation and temperature join tly and positively influenced age-0 white bass abundance in both lakes . Although these are not necessarily cause-and-effect relations, they do provide insight into the importance of environmental conditions for successful recruitment of white bass in South Dakota natural lakes.