NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Wildlife officials announced on Friday that invasive carp have been found in Chickamauga Lake.
An angler told the Tennessee Wildlife Resources agency that a silver carp jumped into his boat as he was deploying his trolling motor near the Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant. The angler said he saw 15-20 more near the surface.
TWRA says it is likely that the invasive fish traveled up the Tennessee River through navigation locks.
“TWRA has been working with multiple partners to limit the spread and impact of invasive Asian carp in Tennessee,” said Frank Fiss, TWRA Fisheries Chief. “This new observation demonstrates the urgency of the issue.”
The agency encourages Tennesseans to report invasive carp sightings by calling the nearest TWRA office or by emailing ans.twra@tn.gov.
“We encourage anyone reporting to include photos, location information, and if possible keep a fish frozen to share with TWRA,” said TWRA Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator Cole Harty.