Dangerous invasive fish found in Tennessee lake — after it jumps into a man’s boat

A fisherman found a potentially dangerous invasive Asian fish in East Tennessee’s Chickamauga Lake — or rather the fish found him, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

“The angler, Dustin Hinkle, said the invasive fish ‘jumped into the boat as I deployed my trolling motor,’ ” the agency posted Jan. 10 on Facebook. “Hinkle encountered the fish near the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, and stated he ‘saw 15-20 more fish near the surface’ exhibiting a feeding behavior.”

It happened in October and biologists confirmed the fish was an Asian silver carp, officials said on Facebook.

The carp are considered dangerous because they rocket out of the water like a missile at people, the agency says. The species can grow to nearly 40 inches and 60 pounds, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“Silver carp are known to jump when disturbed by boats,” the agency reports. “A jumping carp that collides with a passenger in a moving boat can cause serious injury. This scenario is most common in shallower waters and boaters should slowly retreat from areas with jumping carp to avoid impact.”

It’s suspected the carp got in Chickamauga Lake by determinedly swimming up the Tennessee River, a feat that included going through navigation locks, officials said.

The National Park Service credits the species with having the ability to jump “over some barriers, including low dams.”

“TWRA has been working with multiple partners to limit the spread and impact of invasive Asian carp in Tennessee,” Frank Fiss, TWRA Fisheries Chief, said in a release. “This new observation demonstrates the urgency of the issue.”

Silver carp are a threat to native marine species because of their “capacity to deplete and alter” the ecosystem in reservoirs, Tennessee officials said.

This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Dangerous invasive fish found in Tennessee lake — after it jumps into a man’s boat."