Nighttime bowfishing temporarily allowed on Lake Minnetonka

CBS News

a day ago

Nighttime bowfishing hasn't been allowed in Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota for over 10 years. The local conservation district brought it back temporarily to deal with a growing carp population, but neighbors aren't thrilled with the lights and sounds that come with it.
It was roughly a month ago when Jay Nygard took a video outside his Orono home. "It was just the lights! You'd be in there watching TV and everything was lit up like you wouldn't believe" said Nygard.
From April 24 - June 30th, the agency regulating Lake Minnetonka approved a special permit allowing nighttime bow fishing in 4 areas:
Harrisons Bay
West Arm
Jennings
Halstead Bay
Which Nygard wasn't aware of at the time of the video, so he took the initiative to se what they were actually doing and reached out to fisherman.
"A I was out there, I was also considering the people on the shore. How do we solve this problem?" said Nygard.
Curtis Cich is a bowfishing guide across the state, hoping to help find a solution to the problem these invasive species present.
"They'll go down and dig up all the native plants and will eat all of the eggs of the game fish," said Cich.
Cich says some of the bays are seeing over 900 carp per acre. But the best time to bowfish is at night with special lights.
"With the lights we can see all the way to the bottom of the lake, where in the daytime we're seeing them in the shallows and chasing them," Cich added. "This little bit of light at night is a trade-off for making their lake better overall."
"I haven't heard anyone disagree that there's a carp issue in Lake Minnetonka, there has been since I was young, but how do you deal with it?" Nygard added.
WCCO received the following statement from the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District:
"Common carp are invasive to Lake Minnetonka, and unfortunately, their growing population threatens the quality of this much-loved community resource. As part of our efforts to bring a greater range of recreation to more parties and manage the carp population, the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District approved nighttime bowfishing on four bays, between April 24-June 30, 2025.All bowfishing participants must have a permit to participate and follow all approved regulations, including hours, lighting and noise limits. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol is enforcing these regulations, and we encourage community members to report any violations to Water Patrol at [phone].We will evaluate the effectiveness of this nighttime bowfishing event later this year to determine if the restrictions need to be adjusted and if additional opportunities will be permitted. Community members can provide feedback on this year's event by contacting the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District office."
Learn more here.