(Spirit Lake)– The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is now confirming not only the presence of big head carp in the Iowa Great Lakes, but silver carp, or the so-called jumping fish, as well.
DNR officials say a commercial fishing company caught 55 silver carp and 82 big head carp March 28th and 29th in the same general area of East Lake Okoboji where two big head carp were netted by the DNR last August during a population survey.
On April 3rd (Tues.), one silver carp was caught by the same commercial angler on Big Spirit Lake. A second netting effort on April 4th (Wed.) in East Lake Okoboji resulted in only two big head and two silver carp.
Joe Larscheid, Chief of the DNR’s Fisheries Bureau, tells KUOO news the invasive species got into the Iowa Great Lakes as a result of flooding in July of last year when water overtopped the dam on the Little Sioux River at Linn Grove.
Larscheid says now the question is how many asian carp are actually in the Iowa Great Lakes and what impact, if any, they’ll have…Click here for comment from Joe Larscheid
Larscheid says that makes installation of an electric fish barrier at the Lower Gar Outlet even more of a priority now…Click here for comment from Joe Larscheid
Fundraising for the barrier has now reached $600,000. The project has an estimated cost of $700,000. Officials hope to have a more accurate cost estimate April 9th. That’s when information on different barriers is due from prospective companies.
For now, Larscheid is urging anyone who catches a big head or silver carp to report it to the DNR…
Click here for comment from Joe Larscheid
The carp should be taken to the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery in Orleans for positive identification.
The asian carp that were seined from the Iowa Great Lakes were utilized by a local fish processing company.
