In southwest Minnesota, the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District is tagging and tracking carp in an effort to find out where they congregate in the winter. The data is hoped to reveal the potential for a wintertime seining event. Lake Okabena has two to three times more carp than a healthy lake should have.
It’s been determined that a healthy lake can withstand 89 pounds of carp per acre. In Lake Okabena, the electro-fishing methodology showed two to three times that level of carp per acre. The carp stir up sediment and phosphorus, reducing water clarity. Meanwhile, high levels of nutrients impacted Lake Okabena’s water quality, causing it to be added to Minnesota’s impaired waters list in 2010.