Illinois Mixed Bag: New use for invasive carp: crawfish bait?

Lafayette, La. — University of Louisiana at Lafayette biologists and undergraduate and graduate students are examining the effectiveness of invasive carp as crawfish bait, research that’s being funded by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

According to a press release from the university, the state agency has long explored ways to control invasive carp, which hinges on creating commercial demand for them. Initiatives to establish the fish as table fare in Louisiana and other regions of the U.S., including Illinois, have yet to gain widespread traction. For their part, UL Lafayette researchers are analyzing data collected during fieldwork earlier this year in commercial crawfish ponds made accessible by an industry partner, St. Landry Crawfish Company. Additional fieldwork will follow in 2026. Data collected in controlled laboratory experiments also is being examined as part of the study.

Initial research suggests that red swamp crawfish are being drawn to traps in commercial ponds baited with invasive carp. Scientists are seeing similar results when using dry bait pellets made with invasive carp.

Researchers at Nicholls State University, on the other hand, are working to determine if red swamp crawfish in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin are similarly attracted to invasive carp.

Final findings of the ongoing study could incentivize large-scale harvest of invasive carp by commercial fishermen, who would benefit from the abundance of the fish as well as a ready, robust market for their catches.

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Massive Fish Kill Reported in Lake County

Wildwood, Ill. — In the heat of mid-August, hundreds of dead fish began appearing at Valley Lake in Wildwood, an unincorporated community in Lake County.

What caused the fish’s deaths remained unclear. County health department staffers took a dissolved oxygen reading at the lake, which revealed values of 1.5 mg/L of dissolved oxygen at the surface and down to 0.6 mg/L about a foot down, the park district noted in a statement. Levels below 5 mg/L can stress fish, and such levels could contribute to a fish kill.

Wildwood Park District, which assumes responsibility for the lake, said in a statement that it is “working with the Lake County Health Department and have been in contact with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in efforts to identify the potential cause of this event and to assess current water conditions.”

Officials said during the heat of summer, water temperatures can be higher, and the water holds less oxygen. It is not clear what species of fish were affected.

Pere Marquette Schedules Outdoor Events

Grafton, Ill. — Pere Marquette State Park has scheduled a variety of upcoming outdoors programs and activities for people to explore and learn.

• The annual Grand Tour, where he takes participants on a “long, arduous hike” over all nine miles of Pere Marquette’s hiking trails. On Sept. 13, hikers will once again have the opportunity to participate in the hike.

• On Oct. 25 and Nov. 29, the community can come out for the Fall Night Hikes. These guided 2½-mile hikes will take you through the forest in the dark as Menachem “Lev” Smolianski teaches you about fall ecology and park history.

For more information, call 618-786-3323 or email menachem.smolianski@illinois.gov.

EHD Showing Up in Missouri Deer Herd

Jefferson City, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation said it is receiving reports of epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue in Missouri deer this summer and is asking the public to help determine the extent of the disease by reporting suspected cases. Illinois has had EHD outbreaks over the past decade, but so far no cases have been confirmed this summer.

“While MDC does not anticipate a large outbreak this year, every report helps biologists monitor deer health and better understand the impacts of the disease,” Missouri officials said.

Missouri’s most severe HD outbreak occurred in 2012 during an extreme drought when deer gathered around limited water sources, increasing their exposure to infected midges.