Lake George takes creative measures to combat invasive goldfish

LAKE GEORGE — For many, they’re a beloved pet or a prize at your local carnival. But to local habitats, they’re an existential threat.

Luckily, for fish like largemouth bass, invasive goldfish are a snack that smiles back.

The non-native fish appeared last spring in a pond in the manmade wetlands at Charles R. Wood Park, less than 1,200 feet from Lake George, according to a release from Warren County. After other attempts to rid the pond of goldfish failed, the county got creative, stocking the pond with five largemouth bass to gobble up the orange pests. The efforts have already drawn attention including coverage from the Glens Falls Post Star and North Country Public Radio.

A member of the carp family native to East Asia, Carassius auratus has gone feral throughout the United States — including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. They’ve made headlines for invading the Great Lakes and showing up in photos with local fishermen, their bodies bloated to massive sizes (though larger catches have been deemed koi or koi hybrids.)

Researchers say wild goldfish average around 14 inches in length, but can grow up to 19 inches and 9 pounds. They typically feed on snails, insects, fish eggs and small fish, uprooting plants while out-competing native species in the process. Worse is their own waste, which can feed harmful algae blooms.

So when goldfish were spotted in the pond, which connects to Lake George, county workers, the Lake George Association and the county Soil and Water Conservation District worked to get them out.

First attempts

The pond is the last of seven in a manmade wetland designed to filter storm runoff from Route 9 before it reaches West Brook, a tributary of Lake George, explained Jim Lieberum, district manager of the Soil and Water Conservation District. At only 6 feet deep and covering only a quarter of an acre, it’s too small to easily send in boats. The county drained the pond by about 3 feet, but the goldfish just took refuge in the thick aquatic vegetation. There was talk of draining the pond to freeze over the winter, but that could kill brumating native turtles. Brumation is a sleep-like state that allows reptiles to survive when food is scarce in winter.

At one point, the state Department of Environmental Conservation brought in equipment for electrofishing — emitting an electric field to stun fish. Lieberum counted about 20 fish scooped out. They were already 7-to-9 inches long. But he could still see more in the water.

A year and $4,000 later, the goldfish were still there, and some had grown 8-to-10-inches long.

A cheaper and effective solution

So in May, DEC issued a stocking permit to Warren County, and the county Soil and Water Conservation District caught five largemouth bass from Lake George, using a cooler to transport them to the pond in June. It was by far the cheapest solution, Lieberum said.

Like goldfish, largemouth bass are voracious eaters. But rather than dig through underwater vegetation, they settle for eating anything that fits in their eponymous mouths. And since bass already live in the lake, they should have no environmental impact, according to DEC.

In an ironic twist for the goldfish, largemouth bass are not native to the area. Originally from the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi basins, they likely were introduced to the Hudson River via the Erie Canal or fish stocking. But DEC studies find they’re not only a popular sportfish for upstate anglers, but also keep other fish populations under control.

“They’ve naturalized over what, 120 years?” Lieberum said. “Are they disruptive now? No probably not. Were they disruptive when they were introduced? Probably so.”

Don’t flush your fish

Lake George has been plagued by numerous invasive species over the years. Lieberum said time will only tell if the largemouth bass curb another potential invader.

The goldfish that invaded the Lake George pond are believed to stem from someone dumping an aquarium there. DEC advises potential pet owners to learn all about a fish’s needs before getting one and, if they can no longer care for it, to rehome or return it. Dead fish and aquarium plants should also be disposed of in the trash or buried, according to DEC.

Most importantly, pets and plants should never be released into outdoor bodies of water — or flushed down a toilet.

“I don’t have a good answer if you have a bunch of goldfish and you can’t take them with you,” Lieberum said. “I know the answer shouldn’t be dump ’em in a local waterbody.”

Photo at top: A giant goldfish surfaces and dives at Buckingham Pond in Albany. A goldfish invasion near Lake George has been causing environmental problems. Cindy Schultz/Times Union file photo