OCONTO (NBC 26) — Fish are turning up dead in Oconto County, and the DNR says they know why.
Staff say rapidly changing water levels and strong winds are likely to blame for the dead perch and shiners that washed up Thursday at the North Bay Shore County Park in Oconto County.
According to the DNR, most of the fish observed had washed up on banks several feet above the waterline. This suggests water levels in the tributary flowing out of County Highway Y into the Oconto Park 2 marina dropped quickly.
Officials noted that strong west winds Thursday likely worsened the problem.
Similar fish kills have occurred in past years for the same reason, with the most recent in 2020, the DNR said.
The impact on the overall yellow perch population is expected to be minimal. Fisheries staff explained that environmental water level changes are more likely to affect fish during the spawning season when they are concentrated in shallow waterways.
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