# Invasive goldfish in Lake Tahoe



## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Lake Tahoe has a reproducing population of goldfish.

I wish people wouldn't dump their aquaria or release nonnative species into the wild.


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

ugh. bummer. thanks for the post.


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## snaggle (Feb 19, 2010)

Lots of goldfish populations come from pond fish not dumping, I have also heard that some places used to sell goldfish as bait.

But I do agree the small percentage of people that dump fish rune it for the rest of us. I wish I could get a snake head in Ontario, I guess I will have to get posted again lol.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Not just goldfish.. several other species are invading and an article from the local Tahoe paper says they are more of an issue than the goldfish are. They suspect fishermen have introduced such things as crappie and small mouth bass so they can catch them at their favourite lake. 

But these are all warmer water species, in a mountain lake that is supposed to be very extremely cold and they're changing the lake in big ways, along with invasive plants, which are contributing to the changes.

Honestly, is it that hard find a home for unwanted fish, if you give them away ? I guess some would rather dump if they can't get what they think they are worth in cash. Plants can be tossed or composted so easily, but they get dumped too, or they just escape with wildlife or weather.

If you can't sell or rehome fish, at the very least, euthanize them humanely and don't just dump them. It makes me so mad.. and there is so little one can do, except hope to educate some of the ignorant before it's to late.


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