Lake of the Ozarks fish kill attributed to natural conditions

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said Monday that the source of a fish kill at the Lake of the Ozarks was weather.

The department wrote in a news release that it received several reports of dead fish in the lake. Investigators found that the fish -- a species called gizzard shad -- feed in shallower waters in the winter, when food is less abundant. Because that shallow water has been cold, the fish froze to death, the release says.

"Now that the ice is melting of the lake, it is likely that citizens will notice more dead gizzard shad," the department wrote. "Fish kills of this type frequently occur around this time of year, and bass and crappie may benefit as the shad population will spawn heavily in response to the fish kill, providing the bass and crappie with more small shad available to be eaten."

This fish carcasses will be allowed to decompose naturally.