Invasive Carp in Tennessee

TWRA first detected substantial numbers of Silver Carp in the Mississippi River in the early 2000s. Today, Silver Carp are abundant in reservoirs on the lower Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. They are most widespread in Kentucky and Barkley lakes, but a few fish have spread through locks and been reported as far upstream as Chickamauga Lake on the Tennessee River and up the Cumberland River to Cordell Hull Dam.

The expansion of these carp into Tennessee waters is of great concern to TWRA. At high abundance, Silver Carp pose a serious threat to fishing and boating. These fish compete for the same resources as our favorite sport and commercial fish and can cause injury by jumping from the water and colliding with boaters. TWRA is working closely with federal and state partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the states of Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama, to control the abundance and spread of carp.

Since September of 2018, TWRA has been supporting the commercial fishing industry by providing per-pound incentives for the harvest of carp through our Tennessee Carp Harvest Incentive Program, or TCHIP. To date, TCHIP has removed over 32 million pounds of invasive carp, primarily from Kentucky and Barkley lakes, and similar efforts by the State of Kentucky have resulted in the removal of millions of pounds from those same lakes. These harvest efforts, combined with deterrents to prevent more fish from moving upstream, should reduce abundance of carp and their negative impacts.

Alongside partners, we are working to prioritize and implement deterrents at multiple locks to limit upstream movement of carp. We are currently tracking the individual movements of carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, evaluating the impact of ongoing harvest efforts and supporting the operation of a deterrent at Barkley Lock that uses a system of underwater sound, lights, and bubbles to deter fish movement. This information will allow us to evaluate deterrents, prioritize additional deterrent locations, pattern fish movements to improve harvest rates, and support commercial removal efforts.

You are also important in our fight to prevent the spread of Silver Carp. Young carp look very similar to shad – learn to tell them apart. Familiarize yourself with bait regulations. It is illegal to have a live Silver Carp in your possession. It is also illegal to release any fish into public waters away from the waters where they were captured.

Silver Carp can be harvested. There are no creel or length restrictions, however, the fish cannot be kept alive. They are a bony fish, but the meat is very tasty. There are several videos online that show techniques for filleting, and even easier methods that allow you to safely serve the fish with bones in (called “carp wings”). Give it a try!