Winter Aggregations of Carp (Cyprinus carpio) as Revealed by Ultrasonic Tracking

Daily movements of 17 carp bearing ultrasonic transmitters were monitored during autumn and winter of 1974-1975 and 1975-1976. In each year these fish joined concentrations of carp in two areas of Lake Mendota in late autumn before freeze-up. Instrumented carp arrived at these two areas with relative synchrony from different parts of the lake. Commercial fishermen, advised of these locations, harvested 46,400 kg of fish. The use of carp bearing ultrasonic transmitters to locate large concentrations could be useful as both a commercial fishing and management technique.