Wildlife researchers want to know what's killing thousands of walleye in Lake Erie that have been washing up on beaches along its western shore.It's a big concern for anglers who come from across the Midwest and beyond to catch the lake's most popular sport fish.
The best guess is that the die-off can be blamed on natural causes stemming from the stress of spawning and the cold, stormy spring, said Roger Knight, Lake Erie fisheries program manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"It all kind of fits that picture," he said.
The worst is likely over, said Knight, who flew over the lake earlier this week and didn't see a huge number of dead fish. "It probably started a while ago," he said.
It's difficult to know how many walleye have died, but Knight estimated it was in the thousands based on phone calls coming into his office. Most have been around the Lake Erie islands and between Toledo and Port Clinton. Source
