Mar 15, 2023
Low oxygen causing problems for Sandhills lakes
Low oxygen has been recorded in Sandhills region shallow, highly vegetated lakes causing fish kills.
Surveys by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission show many Sandhills lakes fared better than expected after a harsh winter led to fish kills.
Deep snow over thick ice this winter caused oxygen depletion in many of the region’s most shallow and vegetated lakes, causing fish and the plants they rely upon for survival to die.
As surveys are completed, Game and Parks is developing a stocking plan to replenish the fish populations where needed.
Anglers looking for the most recent information about winterkill surveys may follow the Nebraska Fishing Facebook page. They also can contact Game and Parks fisheries biologists at the Alliance, Valentine and Norfolk offices.
Surveyed lakes with severe winterkill:
Brown County: Cozad Lake at South Pine Wildlife Management Area, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Tower Lake on Yellowthroat WMA.
Cherry County: Watts, Duck and West Long lakes on Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area
Garden County: Smith Lake and Island lakes on Crescent Lake NWR
Rock County: Bassett City Lakes
Sheridan County: Smith Lake WMA
Surveyed lakes with partial winterkill:
Cherry County: Pelican and Hackberry lakes on Valentine NWR
Dawes County: *Whitney Lake Wildlife Management Area
Sheridan County: Walgren Lake SRA
Surveyed lakes with minor or no winterkill:
Box Butte County: Laing Lake
Brown County: Willow Lake WMA
Cherry County: Cottonwood-Steverson and Shell Lake WMAs, Clear, Dewey and Rice lakes on Valentine NWR.
Garden County: Crane Lake on Crescent Lake NWR, Crescent Lake WMA
Grant County: Avocet Lake WMA
Rock County: Twin Lakes WMA
Lakes not surveyed with probable significant winterkill:
Garden County: Island Lake on Crescent Lake NWR
Rock County: Peterson Lake WMA
Sioux County: Agate and Boardgate reservoirs on the Oglala National Grassland
Lakes not surveyed with probable high survival:
Cherry County: Big Alkali WMA, Home Valley Lake
Grant County: Frye Lake WMA
*Losses attributed to 2022 summerkill
Updated May 19, 9 and 2, 2023, to reflect updated survey results. Updated May 3, 2023, to add Facebook page where immediate updates will be posted.