MORRILTON, Ark. (KTHV) - Over 200 fish were found dead in a Conway County lake, and now the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission want to know why.
Fishermen at Brewer Lake in Conway County voiced concern over sightings of dead fish on the lake over the past three weeks.
"This is the fourth time I've been here and every time I've been here I've seen fish on the lake dead," said Jessie Ellison, a fisherman.
Officials with Arkansas Game & Fish say they counted more than 250 dead White Bass on April 8.
"It all being White Bass all up the creek we think they were stressed out from spawning and with that added stress of the spawn ...the water temperatures dropped from the cold rain. It was unseasonably warm for this time of year ...then it kind of cooled off with some rain.... that influx of cold water caused them to die," said Matt Schroeder of Arkansas Game and Fish. Schroeder said temperatures dropped from around 77 degrees to about 64 degrees.
Officials with Conway Corporation, owner of the lake which they say supplies drinking water to Conway residents and other surrounding areas, say samples taken revealed no areas of concern for customers.