After waiting so long, many of the ponds/lakes here in Central IN have thawed, and I was able to get out fishing for several hours yesterday.

 

My buddies and I fished a filled in pit. The water was pretty stained. We ended up getting skunked, but it beat a day in the office.

 

While fishing, we probably saw about 15-20 shad, about 5-8 inches long, turned belly up, slightly twitching, as they were about to die. We also saw several dead on the shoreline.

 

What does this mean? Is there a contaminant in the water? Is it a fish kill?

 

Any ideas?

Thick ice on the water for a long time lowered the oxygen levels to the point where fish can't survive.

Ice out creates a turnover and the water mixed killing the shad due to cold water temps. The pit is more than likey spring feed with water warmer than 45 degrees, the lower limit for shad.

Tom

We had something similar happen on the lake I fish on last year. We had a lot of rain at the end of summer and it dropped the water temp 20 decrees over night and the shad started to die. The man from Game and Inland fishery told my wife and I that shad are very sensitive to sudden temp changes. It was the first time I ever seen that happen but that's was the reason we where given.

Low oxygen levels due to snow covered ice. I expect to see a significant fish kill at some of the shallow lakes and ponds I frequent here in Michigan. Only the strong survive in the natural world.

Ice out creates a turnover and the water mixed killing the shad due to cold water temps. The pit is more than likey spring feed with water warmer than 45 degrees, the lower limit for shad.

Tom

 

Thanks Tom, that makes sense considering even after ice out the water temps were in the low-mid 40's. I thought that was a bit warm for water that had literally just thawed totally this prior week. The turnover must've influenced the fishing too, we didn't even have a nibble. What happens to the water after this point?

I read an article in our Sunday Free Press that said a lot of shallower lakes are likely to see fish die-offs due to the longer-than-usual ice cover that prevents oxygenation of the water.

So does the past few years of "light" winters effect the northern strain bass from dealing with this haraher winter. The obvious answer is yes but if they delt with it before , do the fish resort back to an old habit of dealing,with it. Like older fish will survive and younger will die?

Thanks Tom, that makes sense considering even after ice out the water temps were in the low-mid 40's. I thought that was a bit warm for water that had literally just thawed totally this prior week. The turnover must've influenced the fishing too, we didn't even have a nibble. What happens to the water after this point?

There's an article in Bassmasters March issue that goes pretty in depth. If you don't subscribe it's quite possible an area library would have it.

 

Also, shad aren't a very hearty species. Both cold and lower oxygen levels affect them.