A carp fishing derby was held on the Kalamazoo River at Lake Allegan on June 7, 2003. Anglers from the surrounding counties tried their luck and brought in impressive catches of carp. Anglers captured carp using legal means from areas upstream of the Lake Allegan (Caulkins) Dam. Weigh-in occurred at day's end at the Echo Point Public Access Site on Monroe Road West of M40. Prizes were awarded for the most and largest carp caught in the Men's and Children's Division to the first through fifth place winners.

A total of 14 anglers submitted entries at day's end. The total number of carp was 105 with a total estimated weight of 330 pounds. The largest carp caught weighed 22.45 pounds. The most carp caught by one angler was 24.

The Lake Allegan/Kalamazoo River Watershed Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation Committee organized the derby. The federal Clean Water Act mandates the TMDL process for impaired water bodies like Lake Allegan. The TMDL committee is made up of volunteers from private industry, public agencies, and regular citizens. The derby was intended to inform the public about the influence of in-stream processes that affect water quality in the lake. Carp, as the dominant fish in Lake Allegan, influence the internal cycling of phosphorus within the lake (and river), contributing to overall water quality degradation. The derby provided an opportunity for all involved to consider carp as a biological force that affects water quality and an important component in the overall health of the system.

Visiting agency personnel included representatives from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Fisheries Division and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Water Division Surface Water Quality Assessment Section. MDNR and MDEQ personnel conducted netting demonstrations and collected carp for age, growth, and contaminant assessment. MDNR set three trap nets in the morning and collected fish from those nets twice during the day. Trap net catches were surprisingly low compared to historic high carp densities observed in the lake, but 13 carp were captured to take to the state lab for assessment.

The Bowfishers Association of Michigan (BAM) also had members on hand to discuss and demonstrate the sport of bowfishing for carp. BAM members brought airboats outfitted with bowfishing platforms. Participants were invited on the boats to try bowfishing. Following the derby, members of BAM returned to the lake for a round of competition. Members of the committee, agency personnel, and members of BAM presented informational posters about non-point source pollution, carp removal, Lake Allegan monitoring programs, and bowfishing.

Visitors learned about how the TMDL team is addressing water quality concerns in Lake Allegan in relation to the whole Kalamazoo River Watershed TMDL Implementation Plan.