Minnesota DNR Says 5 Invasive Carp Caught in St. Croix River

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Officials say five invasive bighead carp have been caught in the St. Croix River in the past week, just south of Stillwater.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it's the farthest upstream that bighead carp have been found in the St. Croix, and it's about 7 miles north of the previous point. Only four other bighead carp had been taken in the St. Croix River, dating back to 1996.

Silver and bighead carp are two Asian carp species threatening the Mississippi River and connected waters. They out-compete native fish species for plankton.

While bighead and silver carp have been found in the Mississippi as far north as Hastings, the DNR says there's no evidence yet that they're reproducing in the Minnesota waters of the Mississippi or St. Croix.