While seeing dead fish along the edges of lakes and ponds can be cause for concern, fish die-offs are typical to see during this time of year. Dense snow on top of thick layers of ice dramatically limits sunlight from reaching aquatic plants, reducing the plants’ ability to produce enough oxygen needed for fish to survive. In addition, this time of year brings added stress to fish as numerous species begin to spawn, and the sudden changes in water temperature creates thermal shock leading to weakened immune systems and other strains on their body.
The key takeaway: Die-offs seen in the spring, and even in the late summer, are usually a natural seasonal occurrence and will resolve on their own as conditions stabilize, without significant impacts to the fishery. If there’s reason to suspect a fish kill is by non-natural causes, please let us know at fwfish@dec.ny.gov.
