Here is the winterkill news release for the NW and NE districts. According to Justin Haag Public Information Officer with Nebraska Game and Parks Surveys indicate mixed bag on fish winterkill on area lakes.

Surveys by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission show many Sandhills lakes fared better than expected after a harsh winter led to fish kills.

Deep snow over thick ice this winter caused oxygen depletion in many of the region’s most shallow and vegetated lakes, causing fish and the plants they rely upon for survival to die.

As surveys are completed, Game and Parks is developing a stocking plan to replenish the fish populations where needed.

Surveyed lakes with severe winterkill:

Brown County: Cozad Lake at South Pine Wildlife Management Area, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Tower Lake on Yellowthroat WMA.

Cherry County: Watts, Duck and West Long lakes on Valentine National Wildlife Refuge

Rock County: Bassett City Lakes

Sheridan County: Smith Lake WMA

Surveyed lakes with partial winterkill:

Brown County: Willow Lake WMA

Cherry County: Pelican and Hackberry lakes on Valentine NWR

Rock County: Twin Lakes WMA

Surveyed lakes with minor or no winterkill:

Cherry County: Clear, Dewey and Rice lakes on Valentine NWR,

Cottonwood-Steverson WMA

Lakes not surveyed with probable significant winterkill:

Rock County: Peterson Lake WMA

Lakes not surveyed with probable partial winterkill:

Cherry County: Shell Lake WMA

Sheridan County: Walgren Lake State Recreation Area

Lakes not surveyed with probable high survival:

Cherry County: Home Valley Lake

Grant County: Frye Lake WMA