Sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s an unknown individual(s) planted a non-native species of fish in Lake Almanor—carp. In the 1930s and 1940s efforts were underway to eradicate the fish. During the mid-1930s and early 1940s spearing carp became a popular pastime. In 1935 Vern Hart owner of the Lake Almanor Inn, said it was pretty simple when it came to spearing carp. He said the only thing necessary was a three-pronged spear or a pitchfork.

In 1939, the California  Department of Fish & Game came up with a new plan to remove the carp—commercial operators. Carp did have one beneficial use, they could be converted into fish meal and. a ready market for poultry feed. In July 1940 alone over 30,000 carp were harvested weighing in at over 35,000 pounds. The carp were shipped to Los Angeles for processing. In 1943 it was even proposed to build a carp processing plant at Lake Almanor, but it failed to receive approval from the federal War Priorities Board. After that efforts were suspended on the eradication of the carp.

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