Iowa DNR
BioNet
River & Stream Biological Monitoring
Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
Physical Habitat Assessments

Big Bear Creek Victor

Fish Session #256

Sample Date
9/21/1999
Timeframe
Unspecified  
Reach Size
865 ft
Method
Standard Wadeable
Sample Quality
Not Assessed
Last Update
2/27/2025 1:29:45 PM

Fish Health

# DELTs
5
# Non-DELTs
0

Equipment

Backpack Shockers
2
Blocknets
0
Property Access Notice

This site is on privately-owned land. The DNR obtains permission from the landowner(s) prior to conducting any sampling surveys.

FIBI Score
49
Warm Water
Fair
Session Comments

No comments recorded.

Collected Fish

Identity verification status for this species
Size Class: Typically only collected for sportfish
Taxa excluded from species count metrics.
Click on species name for more information about that species
Species Catch
Bigmouth Shiner
Latin: Ericymba dorsalis
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Insectivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
102
Brassy Minnow
Latin: Hybognathus hankinsoni
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Herbivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
96
Spotfin Shiner
Latin: Cyprinella spiloptera
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Insectivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
93
Sand Shiner
Latin: Miniellus stramineus
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Insectivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
59
Channel Catfish
Latin: Ictalurus punctatus
Family: Ictaluridae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Top Carnivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
58
Western Blacknose Dace
Latin: Rhinichthys obtusus
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Insectivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
52
Creek Chub
Latin: Semotilus atromaculatus
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Generalist
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
51
Bluntnose Minnow
Latin: Pimephales notatus
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Omnivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
23
Suckermouth Minnow
Latin: Phenacobius mirabilis
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: True
Is Hybrid: False
22
Gizzard Shad
Latin: Dorosoma cepedianum
Family: Dorosomatidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Omnivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
20
Common Shiner
Latin: Luxilus cornutus
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Insectivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
20
Green Sunfish
Latin: Lepomis cyanellus
Family: Centrarchidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Generalist
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
9
Common Carp
Latin: Cyprinus carpio
Family: Cyprinidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Omnivore
Is Exotic: True
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
7
Mud Darter
Latin: Etheostoma asprigene
Family: Percidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
7
Central Stoneroller
Latin: Campostoma anomalum
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Herbivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
5
Johnny Darter
Latin: Etheostoma nigrum
Family: Percidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
5
Fathead Minnow
Latin: Pimephales promelas
Family: Leuciscidae
Tolerance: Tolerant
Trophic: Omnivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
4
Shorthead Redhorse
Latin: Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Family: Catostomidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: True
Is Hybrid: False
3
Blackside Darter
Latin: Percina maculata
Family: Percidae
Tolerance: Sensitive
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
2
Smallmouth Buffalo
Latin: Ictiobus bubalus
Family: Catostomidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Omnivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
1
Stonecat
Latin: Noturus flavus
Family: Ictaluridae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
1
Largemouth Bass
Latin: Micropterus nigricans
Family: Centrarchidae
Tolerance: Intermediate
Trophic: Top Carnivore-LMB Exclusion
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
1
Slenderhead Darter
Latin: Percina phoxocephala
Family: Percidae
Tolerance: Sensitive
Trophic: Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic: False
Is LithoSpawner: False
Is Hybrid: False
1

FIBI Calculation Factors

Factor Value
Drainage area (mi2) 167.3790
Log(DA) 2.2237
Total Fish 642
Fish per 500 ft 371
Total Species 23
# Excluded Taxa 0
# Exotic Species 1
# LMB-BG 1
Calculation Last Updated 2/27/2025 1:29:46 PM

Fish Index of Biotic Integrity

Metric Name Value Score
Native Species 21 6
Sucker Species 2 2.76
Sensitive Species 2 1.67
Benthic Invertivore Species 7 5.83
Top 3 Abundance Percentage 45.33 8.5
Benthic Invertivore Percentage 6.39 1.21
Omnivore Percentage 8.57 9.43
Top Carnivore Percentage 9.03 6.62
Lithophilous Spawner Percentage 3.89 1.46
Tolerance Index 6.66 5.3
Adjusted Catch per Unit Effort 49.25 4.92
DELT Percentage Adjustment 0.78 0

FIBI Score Explained

Sites that score between 26 - 50 are considered fair. Fish abundance ranges from lower than average to very abundant. If fish are abundant, tolerant species are usually dominant. Native fish species usually equal ten or more species. The three most abundant species typically comprise two-thirds or more of the total number of fish. One or more sensitive species, long-lived fish species or benthic habitat specialists such as suckers (Catostomidae) are present. Top carnivore species are often, but not always present in low abundance. Species that are able to utilize a wide range of food items including plant, animal and detritus are usually more common than specialized feeders, such as benthic invertivore fish. Species that require silt-free, rock substrate for spawning or feeding are typically rare or absent. Fish condition is usually good; however, elevated levels of fish exhibiting external anomalies associated with disease or stress are not unusual.

This location has been classified as a survey site. Survey sites are compared to reference sites within the same ecoregion. A reference site represents natural stream qualities that are least disturbed by human activities within the watershed. Reference sites are grouped by ecoregion to establish a benchmark against which these survey streams are compared.

EcoRegion Comparison

Scores for a sampling session are compared against reference sites within the same ecoregion:

Rolling Loess Prairies

This site is in the Rolling Loess Prairies ecoregion.

Ecoregion Map
Max 83
75th Percentile 59
Median 48
25th Percentile 38
Min 10
This Session's Score 49
Total Reference Site Samples 105
Mean 49.02
Standard Deviation 14.97