Bow fishing, as opposed to an environmental fish kill, is behind the recent culling of hundreds of carp in Paddock Lake, Wisconsin.
Flooding led to a rush of runoff into the lake, which, in turn, reduced oxygen levels. This can lead to a natural fish kill, and some carp perished as a result. However, village administrator, Tim Popanda said examination of recently found dead carp revealed the majority had holes caused by bow-fishing arrows; which is perfectly legal.
According to information from the state Department of Natural Resources, an abundance of carp in a lake can lead to reduced water quality and an increase in algae blooms, which diminish the amount of light needed for native vegetation to survive.
The carp have been showing up in the shallows of the lake and the village’s aquatic weed harvester has been used to remove 100’s of the dead fish.