Can I put live fish in my neighborhood lake? Hey guys! So I moved back to my old neighborhood and there is beautiful lake behind my house. I tried fishing there a couple of times but...

FS Digest

Hey guys! So I moved back to my old neighborhood and there is beautiful lake behind my house. I tried fishing there a couple of times but nothing big enough to bite. I see birds, turtles, and the occasional gator, but no fish. I was wondering if it’s ok/possible to introduce native fish to lake. Messing up the ecosystem is a big no no, but if they are native fish it should be ok right?

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by SPCY6226

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

FS Digest wrote:

Hey guys! So I moved back to my old neighborhood and there is beautiful lake behind my house. I tried fishing there a couple of times but nothing big enough to bite. I see birds, turtles, and the occasional gator, but no fish. I was wondering if it’s ok/possible to introduce native fish to lake. Messing up the ecosystem is a big no no, but if they are native fish it should be ok right?

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by SPCY6226

Check with the state fish and game. In many places its a crime.

Jeremy Loc: America

Should go to jail. The answer is NO. If there is supposed to be fish in it let the fish and Game do it. Most of the ruined fisheries are due to no educated people thinking they should play biologists.

nutz4fish Loc: Colchester, CT

Jeremy wrote:

Should go to jail. The answer is NO. If there is supposed to be fish in it let the fish and Game do it. Most of the ruined fisheries are due to no educated people thinking they should play biologists.

I'm in total agreement on that. So many ruined fisheries because of that unapproved and ill considered activity. I personally have seen pristine brooks have their native brook trout populations destroyed by unauthorized introduction of chain pickerel in my region. What were they thinkin' ?

kandydisbar Loc: West Orange, NJ

FS Digest wrote:

Hey guys! So I moved back to my old neighborhood and there is beautiful lake behind my house. I tried fishing there a couple of times but nothing big enough to bite. I see birds, turtles, and the occasional gator, but no fish. I was wondering if it’s ok/possible to introduce native fish to lake. Messing up the ecosystem is a big no no, but if they are native fish it should be ok right?

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by SPCY6226

You need to check with your State Fish and Wildlife site.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

All above are very accurate. Most lakes n even rivers have signs about introducing any outside aquatic species in. Stiff fine

Papa Bear JD Loc: Interlochen, Michigan

FS Digest wrote:

Hey guys! So I moved back to my old neighborhood and there is beautiful lake behind my house. I tried fishing there a couple of times but nothing big enough to bite. I see birds, turtles, and the occasional gator, but no fish. I was wondering if it’s ok/possible to introduce native fish to lake. Messing up the ecosystem is a big no no, but if they are native fish it should be ok right?

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by SPCY6226

If it's public water probably not. If it's private with no way for fish to migrate, it might be legal. Still best to check with fish and game agency in your state.

harleypiker Loc: WA

In WA and probably many other states, you can do it only with a permit from Fish and Game if they allow what you want to do. If you don't, you could buy a beautiful new fishing boat with the money you had to pay for the fine.

bobber22 Loc: Ocala, Florida

Exactly why I think NJFG has botched plantings. They have introduced northerns and muskie into the Passaic river, which they stock with trout. Go figure.

nutz4fish Loc: Colchester, CT

bobber22 wrote:

Exactly why I think NJFG has botched plantings. They have introduced northerns and muskie into the Passaic river, which they stock with trout. Go figure.

Are they sterile hybrids ? If not, what could they be thinking ?

NoCal Steve Loc: Dunnigan, CA

They once drained the city park pond where I lived. When they filled it again it again I brought every bass I caught home and dumped them into the pond. The next Spring a 12 year boy made the local paper for catching a 5.5 lb bass at the pond. The paper interviewed a biologist to explain how a fish could grow that bug in a year. The biologist correctly guessed someone had released the fish into the pond and went on and on about how wrong it was. I just kept looking at the pic of the kid with his fish and I knew I did a good thing.

tonyjames770

That's how we got snake heads in our water ways.

bobber22 Loc: Ocala, Florida

tonyjames770 wrote:

That's how we got snake heads in our water ways.

Take a break. This is supposed to be a positively linked forum. On the positive side, snakeheads are good eating.

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

Answer to a question with a question—-
How did this invasive species get here?

bobber22 Loc: Ocala, Florida

Mauwehu wrote:

Answer to a question with a question—-
How did this invasive species get here?

Same place the Covid came from. Those folks bringing what they thought was a valuable food source. Little did they know