Dead fish?

Evening, I have not gotten out on ML much this year and finally got a couple hours on the lake today. I headed off to the NW reefs and spotted a couple of dead fish, assumed they were walleye. As the afternoon progressed and I headed back to Docs Harbour, I saw more and more dead fish. I’m used to seeing a few, but I must have seen 50+. The harbor at Docs had about 30 dead fish.
What the hell is going on? Never seen this in the last 5 years I have been on the lake.

They were likely tulibees/ciscoes. There is usually a few that die every summer because of the heat and I assume water temps are at their peak right now. Looks like cooler weather is on tap now so mortality should taper off.

There’s been a lot of dead fish reports. One just came in from Duluth, and I believe they closed their beaches as well. Low oxygen from algae blooms or something? I usually see at least one of the little farm ponds I fish have a die off either over the winter or the last week of July every year. I also see blue green algae usually this time of year, I saw it earlier but the water was pretty healthy looking both places I went this weekend.

I was out this weekend as well, the dead fish were all large tullibees. This is pretty normal this time of year at Mille lacs. I have seen this many, but not all, years on Mill lacs. The older tullibees seem to be unable to handle the higher water temps. (approaching 80 on the surface now)
all of the dead tullibees I saw were very large (well over 15″ I would guess)

Yup can confirm they were Tulibee. No scientific evidence but I think the Tulibee population is quite good right now. Which is a good thing for the lake.

I’m surprised it took so long to come up. It’s hook mortality

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/northland-outdoors/hundreds-of-fish-dead-in-duluths-tischer-creek#:~:text=DULUTH%20%E2%80%94%20Hundreds%20of%20brook%20trout,belly%2Dup%20starting%20Thursday%20morning.

Trout going belly up in a Duluth area creek has nothing to do with heat-caused mortality of tulibee in Mille Lacs.

There is a number of tulibee that die literally every summer in Mille Lacs – its just a matter of how many and for how long. They are keystone species that requires cold, well-oxygenated water. Mille Lacs has gradually been warming and for its size, its not that deep of a lake. Woudln’t suprise me if they are eventually toast in that lake. As Ripjiggen stated, there does seem to be a decent hatch of them recently though. They provide a vital source of food for larger predators in the lake – most notably plus sized walleye, northern pike, and muskies. Its the exact reason the state record pure strain muskellunge is from that lake. Its been stated that one 12 inch tulibee provides as many calories as a double cheese burger to the fish that consumes it.

TH wrote:

I’m surprised it took so long to come up. It’s hook mortality

No its not. Happens every year. I sure this is sarcasm.

Could one use a quick-strike rig with a double cheeseburger?

Well this is all good to hear. I’m stupid for not knowing that tulibee can get that big.