Dead fish in Lake Arthur normal due to quick water temperature change
BRADY TWP — Anglers taking advantage of last week’s warm weather to stretch their lines in Moraine State Park’s Lake Arthur found a few less fish to catch due to a die off being attributed to a quick change in the water temperature.
“I just hated not to tell someone,” said Janet Horstman, of Center Township, who was picnicking Thursday with her husband, Bruce, along the shore near the Route 528 boat launch. Bruce Horstman said he just put new line on his reel and was going to try it out.
She said she called the park office to report dead fish floating in the launch area and was told some fish die around this time every year due to sudden changes in water temperature. She said the person she talked to told her perch are among the fish species that can die due to temperature changes.
Dead fish are found in the lake in early spring just about every year due to changes in water temperatures that can shock some species, said Dustin Drew, park manager. He said park rangers also reported seeing dead fish in the lake.
He said there have been no reports of pollution that could have caused fish mortality. A sudden water temperature change is considered an environmental factor, he said.
Alewife, a 4-to-6-inch bait fish common in the lake, are among the species that tend to perish in sudden temperature swings, but other species can also be susceptible, Drew said. Some of the dead fish appeared to be significantly larger that alewives.
The dead fish will not be removed from the lake. Scavengers see the fish kill as a bounty. The park will “let nature take care of it,” Drew said.
