Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Oklahoma
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) in Oklahoma persist mostly in the Red River system. Fragmentation by Denison Dam has arguably had the largest effect on the Lake Texoma population, but information from the Red River below the dam is needed to better understand how fragmentation, including that by distance alone, relates to the population ecology of Alligator Gar. The Red River system is the main system remaining in Oklahoma where Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) populations persist, but no comprehensive studies exist to determine how fragmentation may be affecting these populations currently. As interest in angling for Alligator Gar has increased in recent years, a better understanding connectivity of populations throughout the Red River is important for management and conservation. This study is a collaboration between biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Together, we will be tagging fish and monitoring their movement with a series of acoustic receivers deployed throughout the river. The results of this study will inform ODWC to better manage Alligator Gar populations beyond Lake Texoma. Genetic results ​will help USFWS with brood stock capture efforts ​to ​inform conservation stocking.