Was on the lake yesterday and they were everywhere, mostly big ones - cats and carp. Something to do with the heat or oxygen level in the water? Does that happen every year?
This does sound like oxygen depletion. The larger ones are vastly more susceptible to it.
With the heat as it’s been, I’m not terribly surprised. This was too hot, too fast. I would not fret it though, this isn’t an annual occurrence.
I’ve seen it too. I talked to the DNR biologist and was told that he suspects that they were primarily discards from improperly fish trotlines. His explanation was that either they were not checked daily or the lines were set at low oxygen depths, where there was enough oxygen for the fish to still feel like eating, but not enough for them to sustain a fight against the trotline. And who wants to carry stinking carcasses back to shore? even though it is the right thing to do. This makes sense, but the carcasses were widespread and not in just one area. I asked about spawning season and was told yes it was spawning season and yes fish are beat up during the spawn, but it usually doesn’t end up in this many dead fish. Perhaps, what we are seeing is a combination of both factors or even more issues, including higher than normal water temps.
I saw a few stripers floating around heading towards the ReDiversion canal
- Adam