Yarkand River
An active fishery exists on the lake. Until the early 1970s, two cyprinid species, "Schizothorax biddulphi" and "Aspiorhynchus laticeps", the latter of which is endemic to Bosten Lake and the Yarkand River, were responsible for 80 percent of the annual catch. During the years 1962 to 1965, various carp species (bighead, black, silver, grass, common, and crucian carp) were introduced into the lake. In the 1970s, these species become major targets of the fishing activities. Since 1978, the introduced European perch has been the dominating species in the catches from Bosten Lake.