Fish die-off reported along shorelines‎, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

OSHKOSH — Thousands of dead adult gizzard shad have washed ashore in Millers Bay in Oshkosh and other area waters.

Ron Bruch, fisheries supervisor for the state Department of Natural Resources in Oshkosh, said the fish die-off, which is natural in winter, also was reported along the shores of Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte des Morts.

"Normally, the die-off consists mainly of small gizzard shad, but the hatch in 2010 was so big and we had good survival of the shad to larger adult size, which resulted in the die-off of bigger shad and ended up making a rotting mess on the shoreline when they wash in," Bruch said.

DNR personnel, he said, have attempted to collect some fresh dead or dying shad to have them tested for fish diseases. However, the gizzard shad that washed up on the shorelines of Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte des Morts had been dead too long to get a sample. Source