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Last updated on Tuesday, November 17, 2015
(BLOOMINGTON) - The DNR has stocked adult largemouth bass in Griffy Lake in Bloomington to control a population of common carp.
Common carp are considered a nuisance species because they reproduce and grow quickly, and they feed primarily on aquatic insects by dredging up lake and stream bottoms and filtering insects from sediment. The process degrades water quality and fish habitat.
A total of 165 adult largemouth bass from the Cikana State Fish Hatchery and 113 bass from a private hatchery were stocked. The fish ranged in length from 14 to 22 inches. Fisheries biologists hope the adult bass will eat young carp before their numbers reach nuisance levels. The stocking also will provide big-bass fishing opportunities for Griffy Lake anglers.
Griffy Lake was drained for dam repairs in 2012 and 2013. Before the draining, fishing regulations were relaxed at Griffy to encourage anglers to harvest as many fish as possible.
In 2014, the DNR restocked the lake with fingerling largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish and channel catfish.
Fisheries biologists conducted electrofishing surveys in the summers of 2014 and 2015. All the species of fish that were stocked were found, as were common carp, green sunfish and longear sunfish. The carp and green and redear sunfish were likely remnant fish populations that survived the draining by retreating to the historic Griffy Creek stream channel, which held water during dam repairs.
The minimum size limit at Griffy Lake for black bass is 14 inches.
Further monitoring of Griffy Lake fishery will continue into 2016.
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