Massive Fish Die-Off Plagues Lake Bistineau & Caddo Lake

Reports are rolling in from all over Lake Bistineau and Caddo Lake about the thousands of dead fish floating on both of these Northwest Louisiana lakes.

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Ashlyn Moore posted in the Lake Bistineau News Facebook page a number of pictures that indicate a devastating fish kill.

Several comments suggested the annual Lake Bistineau drawdown might be the culprit, but many will recall that just a couple weeks ago, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries postponed this year's drawdown and that won't even begin until August 11, so that's obviously not the issue.

Sadly, it would appear this isn't exclusive to Lake Bistineau.  On the Caddo Lake Bass Fishing page on Facebook, contributor Gary Robinson also asked the question, "Why are there so many dead fish floating from Britt’s Gap to Clinton Lake?"

Comments on both Facebook pages suggest everything from looper worms, also known as inchworms or spanworms, to effects of the LDWF herbicide spraying to control Giant Salvinia.

You might recall that back in April of 2021, Lake Murvaul in the Carthage, Texas area suffered the same type of sweeping "fish kill."   In that instance, many speculated that the same herbicide spraying efforts for Giant Salvinia were to blame.

While that is certainly a possibility, since dying vegetation robs water of much needed oxygen, the most likely candidate in these cases is what biologists refer to as "lake turnover."

In fact, it was just this year in May, that LDWF warned of the possibility of these "fish kills" statewide due to lake turnover.  A couple reasons LDWF cites for these kills includes:

• Low or stagnant water
• Extended excessive hot weather
• Heavy rainfall
• Floodwater receding from forested floodplains
• Extended cloudy weather
• Decaying debris/vegetation in the water
• Turbid runoff, or nutrient-laden runoff.

If you happen to spot a fish kill, such as the two recently reported on Lake Bistineau and Caddo Lake, LDWF asks you to contact them immediately to report the incident. They also ask that you report as much of the following information as possible:

• Your name, email address, and phone number
• Date and time you noticed the fish kill
• Specific location of the fish kill (parish, waterbody, landmark, and/or GPS coordinates)
• Approximate number of fish and species
• Estimated date the fish kill occurred
• Whether fish are still dying
• Other agencies you contacted.
• Is aquatic vegetation present? How much?
• Was the fish kill man-induced (commercial fishing in the area, any evidence of pollution such as an oil sheen, etc.)?
• Photos
• Is the site accessible by land or boat only?

At this writing we have no "official word" from LDWF regarding these reported fish kills on Lake Bistineau or Caddo Lake, but the minute that information becomes available, we'll be sure to let you know.