What to Do If You Think You Have 

Found an Asian Carp

Want more information? Go to http://www.AsianCarp.org

Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee 2010

Step 1: Asian Carp 

Identification

There are seven species 

of carps native to 

Asia that have been 

introduced to the 

United States, but only 

four types that are 

considered a threat 

to the Great Lakes: 

bighead, silver, black 

and grass.

Think you may have 

found an Asian carp 

that needs to be 

reported? Follow these 

helpful identification 

tips before calling state 

personnel.

Identification Tips:

• Make sure you have 

the right carp! There 

is also common carp 

which is not currently 

threatening the Great 

Lakes. The common 

carp is not an Asian 

carp. They have a small 

mouth relative to body 

size and are brown in 

color with large scales. 

If in doubt, call your 

state personnel!

• Grass carp closely 

resembles black carp 

in form (see picture). 

The major difference is 

grass carp are nearly 

white in color.

• Look for hybrids, 

fish that might exhibit 

characteristics of both 

the silver and bighead 

species, and report 

them.
Step 2: Contact Agency Personnel in Your State

• If you think you have found an Asian carp, take a picture of the fish if possible. The best angle is of the 

fish laid out flat. Try to include the whole fish, nose to tail, in the shot.

• Know the location of where you caught the fish. What river or lake were you fishing in? What is the 

nearest town? What county are you in?

• Immediately contact the appropriate agency personnel for the state you are in. If an email address is 

provided, email a photograph of the fish in question as well as call.

Minnesota Jay Rendall (651)-259-5131 jay.rendall@dnr.state.mn.us

Wisconsin You will be connected 

with a regional fisheries 

biologist

1-888-936-7463 Wisconsin Dept. of Natural 

Resources

Illinois Division of Fisheries (217)-782-6424 Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources

Indiana Doug Keller (317)-234-3883 dkeller@dnr.in.gov

Michigan Fisheries Division (517)-373-1280 Michigan Dept. of Natural 

Resources and the Environment

Ohio John Navarro (614) 265-6346 John.Navarro@dnr.state.oh.us

Pennsylvania Bob Morgan (814)-359-5129 Online reporting form:

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/promo/

form/ais_reporting.htm

New York Bill Culligan (716)-366-0228 New York State Dept. of 

Environmental Conservation

Step 3: Preserving & Transporting the Fish 

• If state personnel would like to examine the fish, put it on ice or place in a plastic bag. 

• Do NOT keep a live Asian carp in your possession. 

• Do NOT travel across state lines with an Asian carp in your possession.

• Do NOT move an Asian carp to another body of water even if it is dead.

Step 4: Be Knowledgeable About Asian Carp 

Before you go out fishing check the following United States Geological Survey links to find out where 

confirmed Asian carp sightings have occurred:

• Bighead carp - http://nas2.er.usgs.gov/viewer/omap.aspx?SpeciesID=551

• Silver carp - http://nas2.er.usgs.gov/viewer/omap.aspx?SpeciesID=549

• Black carp - http://nas2.er.usgs.gov/viewer/omap.aspx?SpeciesID=573

• Grass carp - http://nas2.er.usgs.gov/viewer/omap.aspx?SpeciesID=514

Want more information? Go to http://www.AsianCarp.org