MILES CITY, Mont.– Anglers that set out to local ponds over the Fourth of July weekend reported a number of dead trout in Clark’s Reservoir, located in Prairie county and Haughian Trout Pond and Dean S Reservoir, both located in Custer count. As air temperatures rise during mid to late summer, so does the temperature of the water. Available oxygen for fish decreases as water temperature rises. This stresses the fish and can cause mortality in trout.

“Because some ponds in eastern Montana tend to be of marginal depth, winter and summer kills are not unusual,” said Mike Backes, Region 7 Fisheries Manager. Anglers should not be alarmed to come across trout mortality as summer continues and temperatures rise.

(Report by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Cover photo: freep.com)