A view of Silver Lake in Manitowoc County Jan. 29, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
MANITOWOC COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Despite a fish die-off on Silver Lake earlier this winter, a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources survey found scores of fish are still living in the lake.
The DNR sent crews to investigate Jan. 26 after anglers noticed minnows they were using for ice fishing were dying in the water, as well as dead bluegills and other fish at the 73-acre lake.
Low oxygen levels were detected, but a cause was not immediately determined. The DNR previously determined manure runoff was not responsible for the incident.
Last week, the DNR set out fyke nets on portions of the lake, said fisheries biologist Jason Breeggemann.
“186 northern pike were handled throughout the survey. 41 of those were recaptures on the second or third day of the survey, meaning 145 unique individual northern pike were handled during the survey. The northern pike ranged in size from approximately 12-30 inches, meaning there is a wide range of ages and sizes in the northern pike population still,” he said.
Other species captured include 14 adult yellow perch, 12 adult black crappie and one adult bluegill. While panfish populations may have experienced mortality from the fish kill, there are still adults that will start spawning this spring to help panfish populations rebound in the next couple of years. Other species captured that are not targeted by anglers include 3 yellow bullhead, 2 common carp and 5 golden shiner.
The team plans to follow up with a spring electrofishing survey targeting bass and panfish later this spring, when water temperatures warm up more, Breeggemann said.
Silver Lake had a similar event in 2014-2015, when it was determined the die-off was caused by a breakdown of plants and other organic material.
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