INDIANA, (WOWO): Leaders with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources say owners of shallow ponds and lakes, especially in northern Indiana, should watch for fish kills this spring as the springtime thaw begins.
The most common cause of fish kills in Indiana ponds is suffocation due to the lack of oxygen and this year, ice cover measured 20 inches thick on some northern waters.
Shallow, weedy ponds are especially susceptible to winter kills.
On March 23, Tom Bacula, District 1 fisheries biologist, received the first report of a shad kill on Bruce Lake in Pulaski and Fulton counties.
Pond owners who experience a fish kill or need advice on other pond-related issues can refer to Indiana’s Pond Management Booklet at dnr.IN.gov/fishwild/3356.htm.
Lake residents and anglers who observe significant fish kills on public waters should contact their district fisheries biologist. Contact information for each district is in the 2015 Fishing Regulation Guide also at dnr.IN.gov/fishwild/3590.htm.
