Squam Warning!
 

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...yJ412WmHSg3LVI

Dan

https://youtu.be/9ViG0lQoW5w

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??...
 

...and what does this have to do with Squam??? Did I miss something??

Wow, high PCBs in fish in the lake is very sad to hear.

I always wonder, does anyone ever eat fish caught from Lake Winni?

Every time I ask anyone that is fishing, they always answer that they are only fishing to catch and release.

Isn't any of the lake fish good eating? Of course, if it's not safe, that's a different sort of answer, but I always wondered if any of the lake fish are good eating or not?

One hit after another...

(I originally thought the warning was going to be CV-19 related given the "can it exist in water" thread the other day, but it's. One. More. Thing.)

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PCB'S in Fish
 

I have been fishing Winni for over 55 years, I have 1-2 "fish-fries" per summer. The best-eating fish from Squam and Winni are the Smallmouth bass and the White perch. They are easy to filet and great eating. However, you have to be careful how much Smallmouth you eat. They are the slowest growing, of all freshwater fish. It takes over 15 years for a Smallmouth bass to get to 4-5 lbs. That means a lot of feeding on PCB contaminated bait. The smaller the better...throw the big fish back. Yes, the Rock Bass are a pain, so catch and kill every one you catch. They are ok to eat, but tough to filet because they are so small.

Winni Bob

Sad. And ironic for Winni's more protected neighbor. A friend of mine on the Loon Preservation Committee told me a year ago that a lot of the contamination was in one spot far from the lake but connected by underground water. Everything we do in the surrounding towns end up flowing down into the water, it's just a question of when

Yes there are several species that are very good to eat. Particularly I fish for Salmon, Lake and Rainbow trout. All very good eating. Tough to beat fresh out of the lake and on the grill.

I am not geared to fish for perch or bass, but as a kid we used to eat white perch all the time. I don't know about bass, I always considered them a trash fish, but I guess some do eat them.

Same reason why sea bass is pretty darn good. ;)

I have seen this Squam lake warning a few times on this site and also on other sites and I'm a little shocked how many people are hearing this for the first time.

NH Fish and Game have posted consumption warnings here: https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/fis...ume-fresh.html for several to many years. The PCBs are not locally generated but rather are generated in the factories of the upper mid-west and "rained" on our lakes in every storm. They accumulate in our fish (the bigger the fish, the higher the concentration of PCB). That means if you eat ANY NH fresh water fish, you are consuming poison in the form of PCBs. Not lethal doses mind you but the guideline indicates limits to consumption meaning a few "feasts" will put you over the safe consumption limit from any NH water body.

I see many pictures of people keeping salmon and bows which is both legal and ethical but I have to wonder if they are not aware of the dangers. Be careful people...get your fish at the store if the Squam warning scares you. Otherwise eat eat eat NH fish - it is your right to consume PCBs in any quantity.