APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Work to rebuild urban fishery in one local pond continues.
On Tuesday, the DNR drilled 46 holes in the ice of Appleton’s Memorial Park pond.
Fisheries Biologist Adam Nickel says they used spray applicators to insert a tropical plant derivative called rotenone into those holes.
“Interrupt the ability for fish at the cellular level to utilize oxygen in the water. With the proper treatment, we can get a complete kill of fish that are left in the pond.”
Nickel explains the effort’s goal.
“Remove the carp and then give us the conditions that we need with clearer water and better vegetation growth that we can bring back desirable fish species.”
He says the problem dates back a few years, when carp were first discovered in the pond.
“Carp basically root out the vegetation and sediment. That resulted in some pretty turbid water. You don’t get vegetation growth. Species that like vegetation don’t do as well.”
Nickel notes they hope to restock the pond in time for fishing in the spring.
He says spring fishing in that pond is limited to children under 16 and disabled people, but they hope to re-establish year-round bass and panfish opportunities for all anglers.
