News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Walleyed Pike are dying in areas of the Dale Hollow Lake.
TWRA Region Three Aquatic Habitat Protection Biologist Bobby Brown said the agency first started receiving reports of the fish dying around mid-August in the areas of Mitchell Creek and Horse Creek which are closer to the dam. Brown said the fish are dying due to water levels receding because of the drought conditions the Upper Cumberland has experienced over the past few months.
“I think with the drawdown it’s pushed these fish into deeper less oxygenated water and also go deeper in search of forage fish or fish that they would normally eat and they get into this less oxygenated water and basically they suffocate and die.”
Brown said Walleye are a sport fish that people travel to the Dale Hollow to fish for. Brown said the issue is concerning because it could eventually kill other fish and harm the fishing experience on the Dale Hollow.
“You start seeing a lack of oxygen in certain areas of the lake it has potential of killing other game fish like smallmouth,” Brown said. “There are no health concerns per say but it’s more of a fish community concern.”
Brown said rain can bring the water levels back to normal depth and provide more oxygen for the fish. Brown said other than rain we really cannot do anything to help.
“There is not really much you can do,” Brown said. “It’s a natural occurring thing and it happens. We just start seeing it more prevalent on years that you do have dryer conditions or higher heat.”
Brown said this has happened before in the Dale Hollow back in 2012. Brown said natural events that cause fish to die happen often but those are due to various factors not related to a drought.
