Apr 22, 2008 - 02:48 PM

By Chris Hall

SCUGOG -- While dozens of dead carp have washed ashore recently around nearby Chemong Lake, provincial officials are stressing there is no indication there will be a sequel to last year's massive fish-kill on Lake Scugog.

According to Dan Taillon, an area biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resource's Peterborough detachment, as many as 50 dead carp have been located in the southern basin of Chemong Lake in recent days. A small number of other dead fish have also been located and there are indications that local homeowners have also cleaned up dead fish, says Mr. Taillon.

Chemong Lake is located northeast of Scugog, in the area of Ennismore and Bridgenorth.

However, before alarm bells begin ringing in and around the Lake Scugog area, Mr. Taillon stresses that he believes the death of these fish can be attributed to nature and the lengthy winter that we just bid farewell to.

"We believe they're winter-kills," said the MNR biologist on Tuesday morning.

Such an extended winter, which makes for long periods of time under the ice for fish, coupled with the relatively shallow depth of Chemong Lake, seemed to have proven deadly for the carp and other fish, said Mr. Taillon. Essentially, he explains, it appears the fish simply ran out of oxygen.

Reaffirming that theory, he continued, is the poor conditions the fish were found in.

"The carcasses looked old, they look like they've been dead for awhile. That's why we believe they're winter-kills," said Mr. Taillon.

But, there is no way to know for sure since the dead fish were "not in conditions suitable for testing," he added.

Mr. Taillon stresses, however, that there have been no reports of dead carp on Lake Scugog -- MNR officials have yet to get out on the lake due to the ice finally thawing completely last Tuesday -- and that "there is no reason to believe that things don't look good for Lake Scugog" this year.

"It's on our radar, for sure," he said of keeping an eye on the Scugog lake this year.

Word of dead carp on a neighbouring Kawartha lake is sure to stir memories for Scugog residents. Early last summer, hundreds of dead fish began to pop up on the surface of the lake and shorelines. The so-called carp caper, however, officially remains a mystery as tests carried out in Guelph, as well as at a federal lab in British Columbia, failed to pinpoint an exact cause for the fish-kill. It's believed though that the columnaris bacteria played a role in the killings.

However, if there's a second part to this fish story, Mr. Taillon stressed the MNR and other agencies and government bodies will be ready to handle any problems. As well, he noted that last year's carp-kill is expected to be a hot topic at the upcoming 'Lake Scugog Summit' slated to be held on May 8 at the Scugog Community Centre. It will be hosted by the Township of Scugog.

As for the upcoming fishing season, Mr. Taillon hopes plenty of eager anglers take advantage of this weekend's season-opener for panfish. Beginning on Saturday, fishermen can try their luck at catching black crappies, perch, sunfish, rock bass and catfish.

It's at this point, when anglers are back out on Lake Scugog, that the MNR believes it will get a good indication of the lake's health -- and that of its fish population.