Fish kill at Lake Nokomis June 1

The Lake Nokomis boat launch and sailboat area

Tesha M. Christensen

On June 1, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) investigated a reported fish kill at Lake Nokomis. It involved several species that together numbered about 150, on the western lakeshore and near the boat launch. Individual fish were floating in various parts of the lake yet on June 3.

A view of Lake Nokomis from the kayak launch on the north side of the lake.

Tesha M. Christensen

Fish kill at Lake Nokomis June 1.mp3

Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2026 4:42 pm

Three Things to Remember About Fish Kills

1) They can happen yearly from common infections when water warms quickly, or after spawning, when fish are weakened and stressed.

2) They occur in lakes throughout Minnesota.

3) They do not affect the quality of the lake’s water for swimming or boating; the quality of other fish in the lake; or the ability to eat or consume fish from the lake.

Blue-green algae advisory June 3

On June 3, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has issued its first hazardous algae advisory of the year for both Lake Nokomis Main Beach and Lake Nokomis 50th Street Beach, based on its seasonal monitoring of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) toxins in Minneapolis lakes.

The amount of microcystin, a chemical that blue-green algae can produce, exceeded the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recommended standard for safe swimming at both beaches in this week's samples.

Hot weather, sunny skies and water temperatures higher than 75°F are all ideal conditions for the growth of blue-green algae. Scroll down to see recommendations for a hazardous algae advisory.

Audio

Fish kill at Lake Nokomis June 1.mp3

The dead fish were reported to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which tracks fish kills - also known as "fish mortality events" - across the state.

According to the DNR, lake fish can be susceptible to disease at this time of year, as rapidly warming water depletes oxygen and stresses fishes' immune systems.

One disease that can result in fish kills is Columnaris disease, caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare. The bacterium is always present in fish populations but seems to affect them in late spring or early summer, when water is warming and fish are stressed from energy spent on spawning.

Bacteria of this type don't pose a health risk to humans. However, they may cause more dead fish to wash ashore in the coming weeks.

Related: Fish die off at Como Lake likely due to low oxygen in water