A recent trip to visit the tailwater areas below the Lake Monroe dam became something more frightening for Nick Haunert.
He saw fish jumping in the water and small dead fish lying on the rocks near the water — not something most people would find unusual or alarming. But after working as an intern with Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists, he knew there was cause for alarm — in large part because some of the fish were Asian carp, an invasive species that has not yet been found in the lake.
"The scary part of it is we're seeing the small silver or Asian carp and they're being cast-netted. That means anglers are coming into contact with them and they're possibly moving them," said Dave Kittaka, fisheries biologist with the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.
There is a strong possibility the anglers who cast-netted the small bait fish below the dam may have used those fish in Lake Monroe, just above those tailwaters. That's illegal, according to Kittaka.
He explained it is fine for anglers to cast their nets for bait fish while they are at Lake Monroe and use those bait fish in the lake. But it is not legal to use bait fish caught in other waterways to fish at Lake Monroe. That includes the tailwaters below the dam that are part of Salt Creek, where any fish taken from the waters must be killed.
Kittaka said it is also legal for anglers to cast nets in Salt Creek for bait fish. But those fish must be killed; no live fish can be taken out of Salt Creek. To do so is a Class C misdemeanor, which can have fines of up to $500 and time in jail of up to 60 days.
Kittaka and other biologists already are concerned that one type of undesirable fish, gizzard shad, has already been introduced to Lake Monroe. The shad probably were brought in as bait fish and may have also swum into the lake from small streams.
Now the biologists are frightened that anglers may also be introducing Asian carp into the lake. Those include silver and bighead carp, which are invasive fish species that spread rapidly and displace native fish species. They also have negative effects on fisheries where they are found, because they reproduce quickly and then eat the food that native and game fish are now eating.
If Asian carp do make their way into Lake Monroe, Kittaka said, there is no way to rid the lake of them. In some lakes, state officials have been able to treat the waters to rid them of gizzard shad or other fish that take over. At West Boggs Lake north of Loogootee, state officials drained the lake, treated the remaining water with a toxic chemical and then rebuilt the fishery. Because Lake Monroe is used as a water source for Bloomington and surrounding areas, that will not be possible, Kittaka said.
Silver carp are also known for jumping high out of the water when motorized boats approach them. This can be dangerous, as the fish can weigh 40 pounds or more.