In June, two black carp were captured in the Ohio River about 10 miles downstream of the Indiana state line. Black carp are native to eastern Asia and were brought to the United States during the 1970-80s. They have since escaped captivity and have been moving throughout the Mississippi River basin.
Black carp feed on mollusks and pose a serious threat to Indiana’s mussel populations. Many of the mussel species native to Indiana are already listed as species of special concern or endangered due to pollution and changes in river habitat. For more information about the important role mussels play in the state’s rivers, visit wildlife.IN.gov/8684.htm.
Although it is possible to catch black carp on traditional baits, bowfishing anglers are more likely to encounter them. Black carp look very similar to grass carp. See the identification sheet atasiancarp.us/Documents/BlackGrassCarpIdentification.PDF to help tell the difference.
If you have caught a suspected black carp, follow the keep, cool, call procedure:
You may be eligible for a $100 bounty per black carp carcass, funded through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
Media contact: Craig Jansen, Big Rivers Fisheries Biologist, DNR Fish & Wildlife, 812-789-2724,BigRivers@dnr.IN.gov.