What is that malodor?

[Island Girl]

The lake has had a fishy smell for the last couple of days... at first I thought a dead fish must have been trapped under my dock... but the same odor is in other parts of the lake...

Anyone know what that might be????

IG

[wMw]

I've been noticing that myself for the last few days, but I've no idea what it is.

[gtxrider]

John Gustafson and Max Goldman may have thrown a dead fish in the back seat:D

Someone once said it means the bass are around if the air has a fishy smell. I cannot prove or disprove the statement but perhaps the bass are in shallow on the beds this time of year and that is the scent.

[kayakn]

We noticed that smell last night during the thunderstorms...

[ApS]

Your question had me run down to the lake this morning (well, amble :emb: ) to check. Air and water are OK.

Nothing appears out of the ordinary in my area, which traps several square miles of poorly-circulated water. :confused:

Occasional rains have stirred the surface, and it's been warm, calm, and very humid. Maybe there's been a temporary blanket of stationary air over the water these past couple of days?

[Dave R]

Years ago, I used to troll for white perch (delicious) in Pawtuckaway Lake with my grandfather. We could always tell when we were about to catch some because of the strong fish odor we'd pass through when we were over the school. I'd guess it's schooling fish.

[SIKSUKR]

I launched my PWC at Glendale and didn't notice any smell.I also went for swims near Bear Island across from Shep Browns,across from Harrilla landing on Little Bear,and in the middle of the Broads and never had a hint of fishy water.Check your nose,maybe you wiped something on it!

On another note, last year I met a few people on their boat off Timber and immediately noticed an awfull musty smell when I boarded.I was wondering who on the boat smelled so bad.I left and and boarded another friends boat and thought it was strange that someone on that boat also had the same awfull smell.Well you guessed it,it was me!How embarrassing.My shorts smelled pretty musty after they got wet.So folks,check your pants before boarding.

[Island Girl]

It was mentioned to me by a guest... but I had already noticed the odor. We visited friends who had already noticed it... so this time... I did not need a shower... or other suggested issues!!
:)

[NHKathy]

I smelled this too - Saturday in the early afternoon - :eek2:
My husband was looking high and low for a dead fish or other animal somewhere - it was driving us crazy - glad to now we are not crazy. On the other hand, I don't know if I like knowing that people are smelling this in different spots throughout the Lake - what could it be??

[waukewanderer]

The lake has had a fishy smell for the last couple of days... at first I thought a dead fish must have been trapped under my dock... but the same odor is in other parts of the lake...

Anyone know what that might be????

The odor that you refer to is the result of a naturally occurring Spring "turn over" of the water in the lake. The water temperature at the bottom of the lake is warmer than that of the upper level...the warm water rises to the top and brings with it decomposing matter and other odoriferous stuff from the bottom. This occurs again in the Fall when the water temperature changes. It smells like a pond for a few days and then goes away. Aside from smelling like a frog, I don't think you can get any ill effects from swimming in it. :)

[Argie's Wife]

The odor that you refer to is the result of a naturally occurring Spring "turn over" of the water in the lake. The water temperature at the bottom of the lake is warmer than that of the upper level...the warm water rises to the top and brings with it decomposing matter and other odoriferous stuff from the bottom. This occurs again in the Fall when the water temperature changes. It smells like a pond for a few days and then goes away. Aside from smelling like a frog, I don't think you can get any ill effects from swimming in it. :)


I noticed the smell too...

And your explanation makes perfect sense - thank you!

[Mee-n-Mac]

I'm pretty sure it's Luca Brasi. Or all the blind dead fish from the Winni Derby. One or the other ... yeah ... I'm sure of that.

[RattleRay]

The fishy smell is down here in Mass too. My guess is it from the storm that went through with a lot of moisture being carried up the coast.

[Grant]

Turnover makes sense.

Luca Brasi. Good one.

I remember once, years ago, we had an incredible fish stench around our dock...couldn't pinpoint the source. Then, one day while bringing the canoe back in, I saw a huge dead sucker rotting away on a rock in the crib beneath the dock.

Other times, the contents of the bait trap have gotten a little out of control and required dumping. Nothing like a nice bass head and entrails stewing in 3-4 feet of sun-drenched water in August. Crawfish love it, though! :D

[Mee-n-Mac]

I remember once, years ago, we had an incredible fish stench around our dock...couldn't pinpoint the source. Then, one day while bringing the canoe back in, I saw a huge dead sucker rotting away on a rock in the crib beneath the dock.


A few years ago a mink or fisher had taken up dining priviledges under our dock and on top of the rocks. The fish entrails made an unholy stench on hot days. For a while I thought it was the holding tank on the boat. Never did see him/her come home for dinner but it was only for the one year. FWIW I didn't notice any smell this year but I did see the pollen floating on and in the water. Worse last week than this but icky, icky, icky.

[gtxrider]

A few years ago a mink or fisher had taken up dining priviledges under our dock and on top of the rocks. The fish entrails made an unholy stench on hot days. For a while I thought it was the holding tank on the boat. Never did see him/her come home for dinner but it was only for the one year. FWIW I didn't notice any smell this year but I did see the pollen floating on and in the water. Worse last week than this but icky, icky, icky.

"Ekki ekki ekki ekki pikang zoom-boing"

[Onshore]

So you are saying that the smell is from all the herring that people have been using to cut down trees???

[Mee-n-Mac]

I think he meant they no longer want a shubbery ... which is a good thing given the new shoreline protection act ! ;)

[CarybchLvr]

and think maybe this smell is too much "sex on the beach?"

Seriously, it makes perfect sense that the warmer water rises to the top and has the same effect as when it rains on hot pavement.......may have some similarites as ozone? You know how you smell the rain? Sometimes even before it comes?

It's part of the smell of spring, from what I can remember.

[A summer place]

The odor that you refer to is the result of a naturally occurring Spring "turn over" of the water in the lake. The water temperature at the bottom of the lake is warmer than that of the upper level...the warm water rises to the top and brings with it decomposing matter and other odoriferous stuff from the bottom. This occurs again in the Fall when the water temperature changes. It smells like a pond for a few days and then goes away. Aside from smelling like a frog, I don't think you can get any ill effects from swimming in it. :)

I'm not sure that we would still be experiencing any effects from turnover at this late stage of the spring.

[/URL]


Maybe it's the biological breakdown of the pollen?

[url]http://waterontheweb.org/under/lakeecology/05_stratification.html (http://waterontheweb.org/under/lakeecology/05_stratification.html)

[ApS]

"...Maybe it's the biological breakdown of the pollen...?"
Beat me to it.

Yesterday, I was at the warm, windless lakeside and noticed the fishy odor with pollen all around. Weekend boat wakes, missing during the week, helped to aerate the shoreline and enhance the odor.

The white perch theory must have more to do with the "pollen time of year" than "sniffing white perch out". (Nothing against theories, of course). :look: