Clear Lake fish kill

[rico]

What's the latest on the fish kill at Clear Lake earlier this month. Rumor has it there was some sort of oil slick on the water at the south end, along with a strong odor. Fish of all species were killed.

[reddog]

Nope. I was just there and the weights at the FLW would prove otherwise

[rico]

The article didn't say ALL of the fish in the lake died, just at the south end.

[The Jerk 936]

The article didn't say ALL of the fish in the lake died, just at the south end.

Can you post a link? The last article I find is pertaining to carp, due to suspected carp Herpes, yeah, carp herpes. Only affected carp.
I was just up there for a week, and didn't see any floaters, and everything seemed normal.

[Whoopbass]

I was there right before the BBT tournament and I heard on the radio that there was a fish kill and it was all species. I never did see any floaters but I spent most of my time between shag rock and state park.
I did catch a 3 lb bass that was skinny and should have been 5 lbs judging by the size of its mouth/head.
There was bait all over that lake and you would think the bass would be gorging themselves but none of the fish I caught had big bellies.

[george]

Here is the article;

Hundreds of carp carcasses have been found in and along Clear Lake, a sign that the deadly koi herpes virus may once more be infecting the lake.

In 2008, hundreds of thousands of carp died from the disease in Clear Lake. Last year, thousands of carp died in Lake Mendocino. The virus was suspected, but could not be confirmed in that case.

Lake County officials estimated the number of dead fish found so far in Clear Lake to be in “the low hundreds.”

“It’s not a huge thing,” county spokeswoman Jill Ruzicka said.

The dead fish, first noted Thursday, are scattered here and there throughout the lake and along the shore, she aid.

Carp die-offs occur periodically throughout the world.

When the goldfish relatives are the only dead fish found, the cause is probably the koi herpes virus, fisheries officials have said. Carp, which are an invasive species here, are hardy fish and would be among the last to die if the cause was lack of oxygen from water being too warm or too much algae growth, they say.

The koi herpes virus was first detected in the United States in 1998 and outbreaks have since been identified worldwide, according to the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital’s website.

Virus infections could be triggered by people releasing their unwanted koi or goldfish into lakes, officials have said.

The disease is suspected of killing thousands of carp in Lake Ming near Bakersfield in 2010 and Lake Kaweah in Tulare County in 2009. Last year, an estimated 500,000 Asian carp died in the Cumberland River below Lake Barkley dam near Nashville.
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[clearlakeoutdoors]

Two weeks ago in two isolated areas down by Baylis pt . there was some kind of fish kill and it effected all species . Have not heard the cause yet but did hear of a chemical smell.
Dave

[WB Staff]

Fish die-offs are not uncommon in Clear Lake. Sometimes fish suffocate when oxygen-depleting algal blooms explode. Other times, koi herpes virus attacks carp, causing their carcasses to litter the shoreline.

But two early October incidents, about 3 miles apart at the south end of the lake, are believed to have been caused by a less natural killer, capturing the attention of state Fish and Wildlife officials.

“It’s under investigation,” said Fish and Wildlife spokesman Steve Gonzalez. He did not divulge any other information.

Environmental scientists working for area tribes suspect a chemical spill, possibly petroleum based, killed the fish, estimated in the hundreds. Witnesses reported a chemical odor and oily sheen on the water, said Sarah Ryan, environmental director for the Big Valley Rancheria. Clear Lake tribes’ environmental agencies work closely with state and local government agencies in monitoring the health of the lake, she said.

More from the Press democrat article : http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/46058 ... s-in-clear

[Larry Hemphill]

I think the last two posts are accurate, from info that I have studied. Not that it is terribly important, but I kinda miss the carp rolling around during my night trips. They can be very active at night - making lots of noise. Even in the winter. I used to tease my clients early in the evening - telling them those "big bass" are really active!!! I always told the truth VERY quickly - those are carp. The last few years it is really quiet out there at night. A few carp are active as dusk sometimes, but most nights we don't hear any carp activity now. It really is weird not to have that nocturnal sound any more. I'm just assuming the numbers are way down from past years.

[g man]

This is an interesting topic for me because a friend of mine Ron Casner told me a while back to watch Clear Lake because he believes the fire retardant dropped on the fires causes fish kills. I passed this on to Matt Allen so he can
verify my concern. I know nothing on the subject other than what Ron passed on to me and I hope it isn't true but I'm guessing the future will tell. I love Clear Lake and pray nothing else comes to harm such a great fishery. g man

[Mitch]

This is an interesting topic for me because a friend of mine Ron Casner told me a while back to watch Clear Lake because he believes the fire retardant dropped on the fires causes fish kills. I passed this on to Matt Allen so he can
verify my concern. I know nothing on the subject other than what Ron passed on to me and I hope it isn't true but I'm guessing the future will tell. I love Clear Lake and pray nothing else comes to harm such a great fishery. g man

I've often wondered this ! Keep us posted, please !!