Photos: Common carp are being removed from Minn. lakes by the truckload
On Stieger Lake in Victoria, Minn. — the headwaters of Lake Minnetonka — four workers in hip waders spent Friday morning tossing nearly 2,000 pounds of common carp from nets to a boat to the back of a pickup truck.
The fish have become a nuisance in some lakes because they're so good at moving around and destroying the habitats of more desirable fish species.
"They can really dominate the biomass in a lake," said Jordan Wein, general manager for Carp Solutions, the company doing the work Friday.
"They have a large effect on churning up the bottom of the lake, which you get to see with poor water quality on lakes where it's brown but it's also green on top."
And in places like the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District where lots of lakes and streams are connected, common carp move around and take over fast.
"Their ability to repopulate an area is pretty astounding," Wein said.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.