Triploid Grass Eating Carp Introduced to Augur Lake
If you are boating in the shallow areas of Augur Lake at either the west end or near where Mud Pond enters Augur Lake, you are likely to encounter some very large carp. These can be up to 3 feet long and 35 pounds in weight. The carp are protected fish and should not be caught. They serve the purpose of limiting the milfoil in our lake. These fish have been stocked with permission from DEC and the APA since 1998. Their purpose is to control the milfoil. The number of carp must be controlled so there are enough to limit the weeds and not too many that they eat all the weeds and die.
We obtain the sterile carp from a fish farm in Arkansas. They are delivered by an oxygenated tanker truck and distributed throughout the lake by ALPOA members. There are some pictures in the Photo section of the ALPOA web site for the years 2014 and 2019.
A very brief history follows:
1998 -- initial stocking of 750 Carp
1999 -- another 750 Carp added in fall
2003 - final 750 Carp added late summer
After 2003 there was a period of study to assess the efficacy of the carp. Cages were built in 6 locations around the lake to prevent the carp from being able to eat weeds in the caged area. The results of the study are included in some of the Steve LaMere reports under the Lake Matters section of the web site.
There was also concern over carp going over the dam and ending up down Mud Creek. There were several recovery efforts to net the carp living in an area of Mud Brook near the big turn in Augur Lake Road. Catching 35-pound fish and returning them to Augur Lake was challenging. We couldn’t get a permit to restock carp until a fish barrier was constructed to prevent carp from leaving the lake at the dam.
2013 installation of a chain link fence as a fish barrier just upstream of the dam. This is still in place although it is deteriorating now.
2014 stocking of another 1000 carp
2018 construction of new dam
2019 construction of improved fish barrier by ALPOA personnel on top of the new dam. Additional stocking of 800 carp
So, please return the carp to the lake should you accidently catch one.