Lakeland city officials said they are aware of a fish kill on Lake Hollingsworth and have reported it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Residents raised concerns and shared photos on Facebook on Tuesday, May 12.
The city said they believe the affected fish are gizzard shad.
FWC officials say the investigation will involve taking water samples from the affected lake to determine what caused the fish to die.
Update – May 12, 4:23 p.m.
FWC has confirmed that they have been getting reports of gizzard shad deaths in lakes across the region, according to a statement from the city.
They said the deaths are possibly due to current warm temperatures and dry weather conditions.
“Shad fish are extremely sensitive to water temperature changes. The recent high temperatures, combined with lack of rain and low water levels due to the drought, causes water temperatures to rise and is the likely cause of the die off,” city officials said.
This is a developing story. LkldNow will update as more information becomes available.
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