Does anyone know if is illegal to relocate carp you catch at a public lake to a city park pond? Two ponds near me would be great candidates for carp and would provide alot of fun for the people and kids that fish them. I read the Parks & Wildlife were going to put carp in two urban ponds, I think in Hurst and somewhere else. With gas getting so high, seems like it makes more sense than ever to create a fun fishery closer to home. Thanks for any comments.

I believe it is illegal to move ANY fish from a public lake to another public water, including City Parks.

It's legal to move carp and other fish from a public lake to a PRIVATE lake, but I do not think it's legal to move them to another public water.

I would recommend contacting TPWD for the exact laws, as I'm not that familiar with them.

Who knows, maybe you can convince them to add one of your local ponds to their carp program!

Definitely best to check with TPWD before doing anything.

Its illegal.. too bad cause I am with you. i know a good number of ponds that could support a fish or 5.

Illegal, but if there was a place around here that sold isrealis for bait, there'd definately be alot more mirrors. There's a couple places I fished as a kid that benefited from me tripping and dropping minnows in the water or dumpage of remaining minnows. That's not to say I'd purposely populate a water illegaly....just saying that fish can be transplanted without intent.

Well said Alan!! I was taught that you should always dump leftover minnows in the lake to feed the fish and support the baitfish population if the lake. If Isrealis are your bait, then thats not illegal stocking right? I bet Muktar could tell us for sure. Muktar, are you reading this? How can we legally get carp stocked in local ponds?

I don't know if it's legal or not...only place I've ever bought isrealis is Texoma. I'm thinkin' that there's some mirrors to be caught below the dam, and eventually at Texoma proper. I've yet to catch a grown isreali there, but I'm sure the day's coming. I know I've used them for bait and let a couple go that were left overs from a feeble attempt to catch when the water below the dam was low. I would definately like to know if letting your bait go into a public water is illegal. And what about catching bait at one water to use in another? I used to catch my catfish bait at certain waters to use at different waters...is this legal?

uuuhhh guys you are opening a big can of worms with that one--

besides lots of carp sickness to spread--minnow farmers are not known for keeping the herps off the carp..

do what I did--contact someone with a private lake and for a small fee they will let you start a project

Mo