150 Dead Fish Found At Lake Nokomis, Officials Say

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — About 150 dead fish were found Monday along the western shore of Lake Nokomis and near the boat launch, according to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

The fish kill involved several species, park officials said.

The dead fish were reported to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which tracks fish kills, also known as "fish mortality events," across the state.

According to the DNR, lake fish can be susceptible to disease this time of year because rapidly warming water can deplete oxygen and stress the immune systems of fish.

One disease that can cause fish kills is Columnaris disease, which is caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare, officials said. The bacterium is always present in fish populations but tends to affect fish in late spring or early summer, when water is warming and fish are stressed from spawning.

Park officials said that type of bacteria does not pose a health risk to humans. However, more dead fish could wash ashore in the coming weeks.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board said fish kills can happen yearly from common infections when water warms quickly, or after spawning, when fish are weakened and stressed.

They also occur in lakes throughout Minnesota, officials said.

The fish kill does not affect the quality of the lake’s water for swimming or boating, the quality of other fish in the lake, or the ability to eat fish from the lake, according to park officials.