Anglers alert Game and Parks to large numbers of dead fish in Lake Nebraska

GAGE COUNTY, Nebraska (KOLN) – Nebraska Game and Parks is monitoring a lake in southeastern Nebraska after a large number of dead fish were found this week.

Game and Parks biologists said they went to the Big Indian Recreation Area south of Wymore in Gage County after anglers reported dead fish. The biologists said they saw numerous dead fish of all species.

A water test confirmed extremely low oxygen levels in the lake, which led to the death of the fish, Game and Parks said.

“Unfortunately, under the right weather conditions, many waters are at risk of fish kills in the summer,” said Tony Barada, deputy director of the Game and Parks Fisheries Authority.

While the exact cause is still under investigation, Game and Parks said extreme heat and sunshine earlier in the week on the Big Indian likely contributed to a large algae bloom that later died off in the cooler temperatures and cloud cover that followed. When algae dies, the bacteria that consume it also consume oxygen. If algae die-off is excessive, it can lead to fish kills.

Game and Parks Fisheries staff will continue to assess the situation in the coming weeks to determine future management actions for the fishery.

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