Riverkeeper has received several reports of dead carp on the Wallkill River near New Paltz, and has reported it to the NYSDEC. The Alliance is monitoring the situation and will update this page when we know more.
IF YOU OBSERVE DEAD FISH, please contact DEC at 845-256-3161. Report:
— the location dead fish were seen
— the number observed
— the species and the approximate size of the fish.
DEC is particularly interested in identifying fish that are not dead but in obvious distress, because these might be better candidates than dead fish for testing for cause of death.
(Keep in mind that often carp are seen in the shallow water, sometimes swimming with their backs out of the water and thrashing around. This is part of their normal spawning behavior, and these fish are not usually trapped or distressed. Common Carp have a fairly long spawning period that may last from May into August.)
Comments 1
Hello. My name is John Duffy. I fished the Wallkill in Middletown today. Found several dead suckers, ranging in size from 10” – 16”, approx 100 yds downstream from the canoe launch off of East Main St. ( on the same side as the launch) In a small area, I counted about 8 – 10 fish. In addition, I only caught 2 small smallmouth bass. ( I’ve always caught a lot of fish, of varying size, here ). I fished the same spot 2 weeks ago & caught nothing. With over 30 years of fishing this river, something doesn’t feel right…