Instantaneous growth and mortality of age-0 carpsuckers (Carpiodes spp.) during 1995-2001 were estimated for Oconee River in middle Georgia. Estimates of instantaneous growth (G) ranged from 0.10 to 0.90; instantaneous mortality (Z) could be estimated only for 1995 and that rate was 0.45. Single linear regression analysis indicated that instantaneous growth rates 2were significantly related to summer river discharge (r = 0.95 p = <0.01). The abundance of age-0 carpsuckers also was significantly related to number of days river discharge was above 23,000 cfs (r = 0.61 p = 0.04). These results suggest that: 1) moderate flows during spawning and rearing are important for producing strong-year classes of carpsuckers, and 2) river discharge is variable among years, with suitable flows for strong year-class occuring every few years. River management should attempt to regulate river discharge to simulate historic flows typical for the region when possible.