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1900m. All smallmouth bass populations were at 1780m (5800 ft.) or less. A check with local biologists concerning the four populations at greater than 1900m indicated that after stocking the bass survived and grew to a moderate size over Several years, but reproduction was not observed in the ponds. The three populations at 1900m (6200 ft.) occur near Cheyenne, Wyoming and observations of successful recruitment have been made in these stocks. MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES Where black bass occur in Wyoming, the growing season is between 100 and 150 days. Impoundments where survival could be expected would have a maximum depth of 4-5m (13-15 ft.) and be greater than 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres) in size. In areas with short growing seasons, management strategies for black bass fisheries in ponds and small impoundments are not well estab- lished (Modde 1980). Several predator-prey alternatives have been suggested (Bennett 1944, Hackney 1975), but none have consistently produced a quality fishery for either bass or panfish in northerly areas. One stocking option includes either largemouth or smallmouth bass alone with dependence on in- vertebrate forage (Buck and Thoits 1970, Bennett 1970, Bennett and Childers 1957). A second set of options include either largemouth or smallmouth bass in combination with a minnow species. Minnow forage species have in- cluded golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas), fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), and lake chubsucker (~rimyzon sucetta) (Regier 1963a, Ball and Ford 1953, Regier 1962, Bennett and Childers 1966). A third set of stocking options include largemouth bass in combination with a sunfish species. Sunfish which have been stocked with largemouth bass are bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), as well as sunfish hybrids (Bennett 1948, Ball and Tait 1952, Regier 1963b, Lewis and Heidinger 1978). Another possible alternative, largemouth bass and black bullhead (Ictalurus melas), has been tried (Stone and Modde 1982), but little eval- uation has been performed. Examination of Wyoming Game and Fish Department records for 155 small impoundments with largemouth bass and 8 with smallmouth bass showed a di- verse array of predator-prey combinations (Table 1). The most common situ- ation was largemouth bass alone or largemouth bass in combination with black bullhead and/or green sunfish. Only one pond was recorded as having a large- mouth bass and bluegill combination, the most common predator-prey combina- tion over much of the United States (Modde 1980). No estimates of fishing quality or stock composition were available to enable evaluation of the various predator-prey combinations. 16