Dead fish floating in Dale Hollow Lake

[Bobby Headrick]

There is an article on BASSMASTER by Steven Headrick that talks about fish kills there.

[BRS]

Why is it lakes like Cumberland and Laurel don`t have problems like this? Also the report was that there looked to be 4 and 5 pound smallmouth floating. My cousin and I fished about a week ago at Dale and he caught a couple of small ones and one I know for sure look to be deformed. We thought it might have been something to do with the temp of the lake but who knows. One thing we have noticed, a few trips down toward the dam is that we usually get the smell of diesel fuel and have seen it on the lake. Maybe that could have something to do with the dead fish?

[mhall]

Why is it lakes like Cumberland and Laurel don`t have problems like this? Also the report was that there looked to be 4 and 5 pound smallmouth floating. My cousin and I fished about a week ago at Dale and he caught a couple of small ones and one I know for sure look to be deformed. We thought it might have been something to do with the temp of the lake but who knows. One thing we have noticed, a few trips down toward the dam is that we usually get the smell of diesel fuel and have seen it on the lake. Maybe that could have something to do with the dead fish?

Cumberland has had massive fish kills the last two years. Walleyes and Stripers died by the hundreds. This year hasn't been nearly as bad, but a few floaters were noted. Two years ago they had ahuge fish kill down there, that's why the lake striper size has been temp lowered to 22inches. Lots and lots of mature fish died.

[BRS]

Looks to me like the fish need some kind of a break to reproduce.

[know1]

I haven't been keeping up with the fishing boards much, but I headed over to the smalljaw site when I saw this thread and it is definitely a smallmouth kill. TWRA is on it and a post from a week or so ago had 158 dead smallies at that time.

[BRS]

I haven't been keeping up with the fishing boards much, but I headed over to the smalljaw site when I saw this thread and it is definitely a smallmouth kill. TWRA is on it and a post from a week or so ago had 158 dead smallies at that time.

I love to fish the Hollow, I really hate to hear this. Hopefully they will find an answer to what killed that many Sallies..

[Jbyrd]

I love to fish the Hollow, I really hate to hear this. Hopefully they will find an answer to what killed that many Sallies..

They do know the answer HOT WATER. LOW 02 levels. But can't be helped mother nature doing her balancing act. Dale has such a strick limit on it that the smallmouth population has exploded. TOO many fish for the amount of 02 and duh..... Wonder when they are going to admit that their plan for a instant new world record from dale didn't work. The slot limit helped the amount of 4 -6 lb fish but it also has added more fish taking from the amount of forage and using o2.

[BRS]

They do know the answer HOT WATER. LOW 02 levels. But can't be helped mother nature doing her balancing act. Dale has such a strick limit on it that the smallmouth population has exploded. TOO many fish for the amount of 02 and duh..... Wonder when they are going to admit that their plan for a instant new world record from dale didn't work. The slot limit helped the amount of 4 -6 lb fish but it also has added more fish taking from the amount of forage and using o2.

I agree, it sure has been a hot summer. One for the records I think. I hope that is a fact about the explosion
of the smallmoth population because I need all the help I can get to catch um. I was starting to think they were few n numbers of them left.

[newriver]

No there are not to many fish in Dale to compete for available O2. There are however fish that are stressed due to the temps. That happens, its normal for some to die out. 158 fish does not put a dent in the numbers.1058 would not hurt it. And the smell from down near the lower end comes from a oil well that has been leaking for 40 years. If you look at google earth and go back through the years you can actually see the sheen from the oil and where it originates. Has not bothered the fish or the fishing except it put a coating of oil on your line and boat.

[mhall]

No there are not to many fish in Dale to compete for available O2. There are however fish that are stressed due to the temps. That happens, its normal for some to die out. 158 fish does not put a dent in the numbers.1058 would not hurt it. And the smell from down near the lower end comes from a oil well that has been leaking for 40 years. If you look at google earth and go back through the years you can actually see the sheen from the oil and where it originates. Has not bothered the fish or the fishing except it put a coating of oil on your line and boat.

DING DING DING....................Sorry we have two winners.....

[BRS]

No there are not to many fish in Dale to compete for available O2. There are however fish that are stressed due to the temps. That happens, its normal for some to die out. 158 fish does not put a dent in the numbers.1058 would not hurt it. And the smell from down near the lower end comes from a oil well that has been leaking for 40 years. If you look at google earth and go back through the years you can actually see the sheen from the oil and where it originates. Has not bothered the fish or the fishing except it put a coating of oil on your line and boat.

Does that oil film stay on the lake all the time? Also does it have the distinct odor of diesel fuel because that is what it smelled like to us.

[newriver]

Does that oil film stay on the lake all the time? Also does it have the distinct odor of diesel fuel because that is what it smelled like to us.

It moves with the wind. No fish down there anyway! Everyone stay away from the lower end.