Dead carp in Paddock Lake from bow angling, says village

This photo taken by Paddock Lake village administrator Tim Popanda shows the wounds typical of the carp found dead in and around Paddock Lake this summer.

A recent increase in the number of dead carp seen in and around the waters of Paddock Lake is due to the fish being legally shot with bow and arrow, not an environmental problem with the lake, village officials say.

Recently, there have been confirmed incidents of large numbers of dead carp, said village administrator Tim Popanda. The village has found as many as 40 since mid-July.

However the carp found all had wounds that appeared to show they had been shot by an arrow, Popanda said.

Harvesting carp, an invasive species, by bow and arrow is legal, Popanda said. However, the fish are not supposed to be left in the lake or along the shore, but disposed of properly.

The village investigated the situation after receiving numerous calls about dead carp.

“We reassured them nothing sinister is going on here,” Popanda said.

Representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also surveyed the lake after receiving complaints from residents. An email to Popanda from a DNR fisheries biologist said the DNR on the day they were on Paddock Lake found three dead carp and two dead panfish along with multiple live and healthy panfish observed at the launch. Some carp may have died from dissolved oxygen issues from recent flooding and run-off and that coupled with the bow hunting likely accounts for the dead carp.

“I see no reason for system-wide concern at this point,” the biologist said in the email.

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