MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill in Silver Lake in Manitowoc County.
The investigation began after anglers reported not seeing fish on their electronics while ice fishing and finding their bait minnows dead.
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DNR biologists tested oxygen levels across the lake and found them to be very low — a condition that can be deadly for fish.
Using an underwater camera, officials found small numbers of dead panfish, including bluegill and crappie.
The DNR says there are no signs of pollution or runoff, and the lake has a history of winter fish kills.
Manitowoc fisheries biologist Jason Breeggemann said crews are working to determine the cause of the incident.
“The combination of very low oxygen and the observation of dead fish on the bottom and portions of the lake was indicative of at least a partial fish kill of some sort,” Breeggemann said.
Several anglers who were on the ice Thursday told Local 5 they were unaware of the situation and are hoping to learn whether it will affect fishing for the remainder of the season.
Wisconsin DNR officials said their sampling process helps determine how many fish are present in each test area.
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“We drilled about a dozen holes in different locations and noticed that oxygen in all of the areas was very, very low,” Breeggemann said. “We also brought an underwater camera to see if we could find evidence of live or dead fish. In a couple of holes in the far southwest corner of the lake, we saw five to 10 dead fish in each location.”
The DNR plans to survey Silver Lake again this spring after the ice melts.
