Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: South Dakota
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) recruitment in eastern South Dakota tributaries is not well understood. Age-0 Silver Carp have only been collected on one occasion in the James River during a year of flooding and juvenile invasive carp are typically not observed in these tributaries. In 2019, major flooding occurred on the three eastern SD tributaries and may have contributed recruitment of invasive carps. Anecdotal observations of high numbers of small Silver Carp have been made in 2020 and 2021, but the natal origin of these fish remains uncertain. Developing an understanding of the recruitment sources of invasive carp in the eastern South Dakota tributaries is necessary for understanding the potential impact of management actions on these populations.