The Fox River Navigational System Authority closed the lock at 10 p.m. Wednesday because the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed that round gobies are in the water. It shuts down the lock during the potentially busy Labor Day weekend.
“We’re very serious about invasive species,” said Bob Stark, CEO of the authority. “We agreed to temporarily close the lock indefinitely. The DNR is working very diligently to find out where it is.”
This is the southernmost lock on the Fox River and the first to link Lake Winnebago to the lower Fox River. Boaters will not be able to travel from Little Lake Butte des Morts to Lake Winnebago and back through the lock system while it is closed. Normal lock operations will continue at the Appleton locks, Cedars lock, Little Kaukauna lock at Little Rapids and De Pere Lock.
Stark said although closing the lock is an inconvenience for boaters over the holiday weekend, it is important to try to contain the species and ensure they are not transferred to other areas.
The DNR is asking area anglers for additional help to determine if the species is also present upstream of the Neenah and Menasha dams in Lake Winnebago. Other areas have been tested but no gobies were found.
“We’re still in the data-gathering mode. We’re trying to get the extent of where they are,” said Kendall Kamke, DNR Oshkosh fisheries team supervisor. “We’re trying to prevent them from spreading further.”
The species can survive in poor-quality water and displace native fish by eating their eggs and young, taking over habitats and spawning multiple times per season, which gives them an advantage. They can be identified by a single, scallop-shaped pelvic fin on the belly, a black spot on the front dorsal fin, frog-like raised eyes and thick lips and they can range in size from 3 to 6 inches.
If those on the water find gobies over the weekend, the DNR asks that the fish are killed and frozen until they can be turned in at the Oshkosh office, located at 625 E. County Y, Suite 700, Oshkosh.
“We’re really asking and reaching out to anglers to catch these things,” Kamke said.
Source Appleton Post Cresent
