Those Dead Chrome Chinook...

[Guest Munshaw]

Found more dead chrome chinook today. Friend from DFO suggested that they may have experienced heat-shock from the huge drop in water levels and subsequent warming. Not sure, but either way I haven't seen this many dead chrome fish before. Its not even just a few - its A LOT.

Just one of the many side-effects of our nice little drought we have going on here. Was hoping this rain would pick things up a bit but alas.

Anyone have any more thoughts? Fish is a little scratched up, but nowhere near as ugly as the usual spawned out dead fish...

[Guest Guest_grumpy_*]

I would say that someone has caught that fish and squeezed the crap out of it to get at the spawn then left it for dead.

Those scratches could be line marks. It also looks like there might be some spawn left in it. Did you or was there a slit up the stomach.

[Guest merc]

I've chased these guys around the great-lakes tribs since the early days of salmon stocking in the 70's.

Couple things I've learned about their migration...

They tend to look for the deeper pools, undercut banks and the likes to somewhat rest between shallow water runs. If those are not there they may be too stressed.

How far from the lake are you from these dead fish? I don't think they're going to make it if they have to go too far in 5 inches of water.

If these fish are chrome then thy have'nt been in the river too long---you would then assume their cause of death is related directly to the river run as opposed to a disease say---they're not finding fish on the shores of the lake washed up correct?

Hope for 3 days of torrential rain--may give them a chance

Depressed drinkin my coffee again

Merc

[Guest Munshaw]

Its hard to say - those lines could very well be from fishing line. Breakoffs are common enough. I've never seen this many chrome fish dead before, and there's not an unusually large amount of boats on the river this year. Maybe I'm just looking harder now that the issue has been brought up.

The fish I'm seeing are all in water deep enough to boat through - and SLOW water. Nothing a chinook would have trouble negotiating.

Who knows - its just a bit of a shame.

PS. squeezed it a little and the fish is either spawned out (unlikely) or stripped. I'd hate to think someone striped it and left it dead. Might as well have kept the damned thing!

[Guest merc]

Couple assumptions here----if you fishing a river you can boat on I would think Nipigon

Did'nt they lampricide that recently---they say no ill effects but like you say who knows??

The only obvious thing is something is that irregular to cause a die-off like you indicate---everyone that has river-fished salmon has seen them old and black with barely a tail or fins clinging to life---rarely do you see the chromes kicking off.

Someone should have the answer--possibly MNR

Merc

[fisherdude 69]

this is really odd...i havent seen any dead salmon..but saw a rather large dead spec at the bottom of current rivver 2 weeks ago..

[grumpy 2]

That fish looks like it is still half full of spawn. Next time take the knife to it see if she spawned or not. It looks like the fish is still tight.

[Guest TerryK]

Saw a chrome spawned out female on the Nipigon last week and one on the Wolf. I also noticed a large number of dead Darters in the Wolf. All the fish I caught (pinks, chinooks and a few bows, seemed perfectly healthy.

this is really odd...i havent seen any dead salmon..but saw a rather large dead spec at the bottom of current rivver 2 weeks ago..

Was this fish below the dam or near Boulevard? If so, I would suspect it's one of the "brood stock" fish the MNR regularly dumps in Boulevard Lake.

[grumpy 2]

What is a darter?

[Guest TerryK]

What is a darter?

Rainbow Darter is a small minnow like fish common in Ontario streams. I believe we have other species as well.

[Guest Big Moose]

I believe Terry is correct about the darters there are many different spieces of darter native to this area. Haven't had much time to fish this fall.