Fisheries biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department say an alga bloom is responsible for a massive fish kill in Lake Texoma last week.
Approximately 157,000 fish, mostly small threadfin shad, died due to toxic levels of ichthyotoxin produced by an abundance of Golden alga. The bloom occurred in the Paradise Cove area of the Big Mineral arm at Lake Texoma from June 21 to 24. While not harmful to most animals or humans, golden alga affects gill function in freshwater species.
Freshwater drum and crappie were among the other species hardest hit by the bloom. Smallmouth buffalo, channel catfish, white bass, and goldeye were also identified in the kill