09/15/2026
“Something happening on the Red River below Denison Dam is something Oklahoma anglers should be paying attention to.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service team is studying invasive carp in the Red River, tracking adult fish and sampling for eggs and larvae to better understand whether these fish are reproducing in the system.
Silver and Bighead Carp are already present in the lower Red River, and researchers have been working to understand their numbers, movements and reproduction. Recent research has found evidence that spawning is occurring somewhere within the lower Red River catchment, although researchers have not found juvenile carp in their sampling.
Why does this matter to Oklahoma?
Invasive carp can compete with native fish for food and potentially impact the food web that supports some of our most important fisheries. The Red River system is also connected to one of Oklahoma's most popular fisheries, Lake Texoma.
This is exactly the kind of thing we need to keep an eye on before it becomes a much bigger problem.
Have you ever seen or caught an invasive carp in Oklahoma?”
