Record catch of 750,000 pounds of silver carp pulled from Illinois River near Starved Rock

About 750,000 pounds of silver carp were removed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 6 in the Starved Rock pool of the Illinois River, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Fisheries biologists, with support from contracted commercial fishers and other biologists, wrapped up the 10-day harvest operation, ultimately turning in the largest single removal effort the IDNR has undertaken and is believed to be a record for freshwater harvest in the U.S.

“Clearly, this removal technique is highly effective, but it is also highly dependent on water levels and water temperature,” Brian Schoenung, the IDNR’s aquatic nuisance species program manager, said in a news release. “This past week provided near-perfect conditions, which facilitated the record-breaking haul of fish.”

A giant seine net was deployed in a side channel of the river, according to the Illinois River Biological Station.

“Early winter is usually the best time of year for these kinds of mass-removal efforts, as the silver carp have schooled up for the winter, and the water temperature is low enough to not only reduce the silver carp’s natural jumping behavior but also keep dissolved oxygen levels high enough to keep fish alive during the weeks-long effort to remove them all,” the Illinois River Biological Station reported.

The IDNR uses funding support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to contract with commercial fishers. These fishers, under supervision from IDNR staff, annually remove more than 1 million pounds of invasive carp from the Starved Rock, Marseilles and Dresden Island pools of the Illinois River, especially targeting the Starved Rock and Marseilles pools.

Native fish are rarely captured during efforts like this, which usually consist of a few gizzard shad or bigmouth buffalo, which are returned unharmed to the river, according to the Illinois Biological Station.

The invasive carp are primarily turned into fertilizer, but they also can be eaten.

These efforts help prevent invasive carp from becoming established in the Great Lakes by reducing the population pressure on the electric dispersal barrier system near Romeoville.

The $1.1 billion barrier being designed for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet Township would combine noise, bubbling water and electric shock to keep carp from moving into the Great Lakes.