Thursday February 23, 2023
Lake County Record-Bee —
Clear Lake has many species of fish. There are seven native species and 24 non-native. One of the more numerous fish in the lake is the carp. The lake is literally awash with carp and May and June are the months when they move into the shallows to spawn.
A good example is Clear Lake State Park where carp can be seen boiling in the shallows throughout the park. Carp recently came into the spotlight when a group of local residents joined up with the. Department of Fish and Wildlife to rid the lake of some of its carp in order to protect the endangered hitch.
Carp aren’t native to the United States but were introduced into American way back in the late 1870s. They were brought to California and Clear Lake in 1880. Today, carp can be found is just about all lower-altitude lakes throughout the state. They are the most widely distributed fish in the country. Carp are valued as a food fish in Europe and Asia, and early settlers thought they would also be a desired food fish in America. They are the most widely eaten fish in the world, with more than 200,000 tons consumed annually.