dead shad!!

[superiorfishguy]

why is it every spring you see hundreds of dead shad?? in Hastings down at Dushanes and in lake Rebecca, all over the place!! just die out??

[youngie22]

usually oxygen levels, Some years isabell is worst, lots by bums layout. I hope for an areator on isabell like rebecca when all renovations and dredging are done

[EBass]

I thought they were sensitive to the temps? Dunno 4 sure though

[Lunker]

Low oxygen levels. In the winter, shallow areas and areas that don't get a lot of light penetration(snow cover), or areas with high levels of dead vegetation(breakdown uses up oxygen) contribute to winterkills. There is also a similar situation in the summer in mostly shallow weedy areas when the temperatures are high oxygen will again be depleted, that is your likely case of "temperature sensitivity". Some species are temperature sensitive, but in MN, this mostly deals with warm water(summer) situations, not spring water temperatures.

With some species you will also see large die-offs from disease, bacterial or viral. You will see this in a lot of crappie populations in spring, but I've never heard of this in shad.

[river rat316]

Most of the shad die off is due to the water temps, they are very temperature sensitive and can't handle huge temp swimgs in little time, you will see them die in the main channel too, we are also at the very top of there range, they just can't handle MN temp extremes

[Lunker]

yea, I can't say that I know much about shad. I was generalizing. Interesting though