Major fish kill, FYI

This is probably better suited for another area post, but in case some are interested.
This morning I had a business meeting in Waseca. Stop at Clear Lake to take a look around. Dead Crappies, by the hundreds washed up along the shoreline. A really sad sight. They measured from 5 to 8 inches, didn’t see any larger ones. Nothing else, just Crappies, no Bluegills, Northerns, Walleyes, Perch or Bass, just dead Crappies.
Asked a local guy what happened and he said he didn’t have a clue. Water looks like paint with all the algae, maybe that is what is killing them. Could also see several up shallow that looked like they were about to die. Motionless, tilted sideways and slowly finning to try and upright themselves. So, does anyone know what is going on over there??

I was over there 6/11 and the week before.My son counted about 60 dead ones then.There were others with a white color on their lips that looked about to die.We still caught over a dozen that looked healthy.This also happened last year.I’ve seen this on a smaller scale on lakes up north.Someone told me it happens when it warms early and then cools off.

I went by there today and noticed all the dead fish, several 1000’s. A sad sight! Sure would interesting to know what caused it.

Good Fishing,
Mike

sounds like a much larger scale than what I’ve ever seen there.It does turn green every year for awhile.

However sad is it may be, this should serve as a purpose. All have been to believe that panfish are such a prolific species, that an occasional dent doesn’t hurt. If you were only to see ALL the dead crappies, even you would have to wonder just how catastrophic this will be to that particular fishery? I would be very interested in hearing or seeing what the DNR has to report about this situation. Have to tell you, standing there seeing all those dead crappies made me sick to my stomach. This is going to sound selfish, but all I could think was, what if this happened to the fisheries close to us, Zumbro, etc..
One thing I can report is that the air around Clear Lake should be really ripe with the heat coming in.

I can remember back in the late 1980’s we had such a heat spell that I saw crappies in Lake Zumbro up towards the top of the water and looking very sick. The water even looked sick. You could see little chunks and streamers of white and green in the water. Lots of heat with no wind and chemical run off can make a mess out of a body of water.
Thanks, Bill

a couple of times last year I had 100 crappies c&r with my son and nephew.We did this in about two hours.Nothing over 8in. but great for kids.

Maybe this fish kill is o.k. in the long run as there have been tons of stunted crappies in that lake for years! I used to fish it a lot in the 90’s through the ice. There were some real good sunnies but the crappies were all stunted and you could hardly keep them off the hook while dropping down to the sunnies area.

Was over that way today, and the lake from the road looks beautiful (ahem…clear) but I’m sure the kill will in the long run, help the lake. I have in the past fished it a lot in the winter, and there have always been loads and loads of small fish.

Loon lake looks beautiful as well, the planned kill a few years back looks to be working

This is the response I got back from the DNR when I asked them what happened.
—–Original Message—–
From: Kevin Kyle [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 11:41 AM
To: Weltzin, Ronald
Subject: Re: massive fish kill

Thanks for your enquiry about Clear Lake at Waseca. A bacterial
infection called Columnaris is a common cause of fish mortality at this
time of year. Black bullheads and panfish are most frequently observed.
We typically get a few reports from area lakes at about this time each
year, as the water is getting warmer. Kevin

Thanks Ron, Your always on top of things,
Good Fishin Doug

Thanks for the update.
Thanks, Bill

Yeah,MrMuskie and I remember that Zumbro kill well.That was in our bassin days.Boy what a mess,but as I recall the fish rebounded quickly.
Don

Here is an article in todays Star Tribune…big numbers…wow 100,000 black crappies…

100,000 crappies apparently suffocated in lake
Associated Press
July 1, 2005 CRAPPIES0702

WASECA, Minn. -— The fish kill that left tens of thousands of black crappies dead in Clear Lake in southern Minnesota appears to be over.

Pathology tests show the crappies suffocated, but the DNR hasn’t determined what caused them to suffocate.

Columnaris bacteria, a common bacteria found in shallow lakes in the summer, was detected in the fish, but scientists say that appears to be a secondary ailment. Columnaris is usually only blamed for the deaths of a few hundred fish.

DNR fisheries supervisor Todd Kolander says between 50,000 and 100,000 fish, or maybe more, died in Clear Lake. Officials estimate Clear Lake could have one million black crappies.

Pathology labs will run more tests to find a more specific cause for the die-off.

I saw this on the news and it was a sick sight to see all of those dead fish.

Yellowjacket, thanks for more details, better then what I had. Those numbers are staggering. Yes, I have heard the argument that a fish kill is actually benefical to a fishery once in awhile, however, those kinds of numbers?
Time will tell just how beneficial and or negative this one has. Bill mentioned a similar kill on Zumbro years back. That fishery has recovered nicely. So guess time heals all. However, us older guys worry about time. I don’t buy green bananas for that very reason. Might not be enough time.