A round goby that was recently caught in the Fox River in Neenah is displayed, Sept. 4, 2015. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — If you’re fishing in the Winnebago system this summer, remember to be on the lookout for an aggressive invasive fish species.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is urging anglers to report any catches or sightings of round gobies, or Neogobius melanostomus.
These fish reproduce quickly and can survive in poor water quality, leading to the displacement of native fish populations. Round gobies have been present in the Great Lakes since the early 1990s, including associated tributaries, such as the Lower Fox River, up to the first impassable dam or barrier.
DNR monitoring efforts in the Winnebago system have been intensified after a round goby was reported by an angler in Lake Winnebago near the Bowen Street Fishing Pier in Oshkosh early this month.
DNR fisheries and aquatic invasive species staff verified the species of the specimen, then followed response protocols and quickly mobilized an angling and trapping “blitz” to determine if additional gobies are present in the Winnebago system.
Shore angling, boat angling and minnow traps were utilized for several days — targeting the area where the angler caught the round goby — along with the channels upstream of the Neenah and Menasha dams.
Officials say they still continue to consider the Menasha Dam, Neenah Dam and the Menasha Lock as “essential barriers” to preventing the spread of round goby to Lake Winnebago.
A voluntary closure of the Menasha Lock was initiated in 2015 after round gobies were discovered in Little Lake Butte des Morts, along the Lower Fox River and above the impassible barrier at Rapide Croche. This was in an effort to prevent further upstream spread of the invasive species.
Here’s what you should do if you catch a round goby:
- Keep the fish and freeze/put on ice in a plastic bag
- Report it to the DNR using the online Goby Reporting Tool, which includes an illustration of a round goby
- Bring suspected goby specimens to the DNR’s Oshkosh Service Center to facilitate verification
Any round gobies captured downstream of the Neenah or Menasha dams or in Little Lake Butte des Morts do not need to be reported, as it is not a part of the Winnebago System and these areas are known to have a verified and established population of round goby. Gobies captured in Green Bay or Lake Michigan also do not need to be reported.
The DNR stresses that prevention is the best way to help protect Wisconsin’s waters. Round gobies are nearly impossible to eradicate once they have been established. Anglers should never use round gobies as bait, release fish from one lake into another or throw unwanted bait into the water.
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