ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – Residents who frequent Whaby Park near Blossom Heath are noticing an unsettling scene along the pond: dozens of dead fish floating at the surface and washing up along the banks.
Park visitor Sarah Glendenning said her family spotted the fish almost immediately after arriving.
“The first five minutes of showing up, we noticed dead fish all around the pond,” Glendenning said. “It’s not sitting well with me. We just want to make sure to get out a little faster than normal.”
Nearby residents Angie Provenzano and Rebecca Friedley, who say they visit the park regularly, were also surprised by what they saw.
“We’ve never seen it happen like this, never,” Provenzano said.
“We feed the fish crackers and oatmeal and stuff like that,” Friedley said. “And I’m shocked that they’re all dead.”
The situation has drawn attention on social media, with some residents calling it an annual occurrence and others asking whether it could pose a public health concern.
St. Clair Shores Parks and Recreation officials said the fish deaths are consistent with a seasonal phenomenon known as winter kill, which often becomes visible during the spring thaw.
According to Parks and Rec, when ponds are covered by ice and snow, sunlight can be blocked from reaching aquatic plants.
That can reduce oxygen levels in the water, leading to fish suffocation.
Provenzano said wildlife quickly responds to the die-off.
“And then the birds started eating them,” Provenzano said.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says dead fish may sometimes appear fuzzy due to a secondary fungal infection, but the agency notes the fungus is not the cause of death.
Staff with Parks and Rec say the cleanup is often handled by nature.
Birds and other animals may remove fish remains, and if needed, the department says its crews will clear fish from the pond’s banks.
The DNR also notes that fish kills can occur in other seasons, including spring and summer, when water temperatures change rapidly.
Officials say that while the sight can be alarming, winter kill is generally considered part of a normal ecosystem cycle, and fish populations typically recover.
The Michigan DNR expects winter fish kill to be a common sight through early spring. Residents can report large-scale fish kills through the agency’s Eyes in the Field app: https://hub.arcgis.com/apps/midnr::michigan-dnr-eyes-in-the-field/explore.