Thousands of Fish Found Dead in Western NSW Lake

Fisheries staff inspected the lake on July 8 and attributed the deaths to a ‘winter die-off,’ triggered by sudden drops in water temperature.

A supplied image obtained on March 17, 2023, of thousands of dead fish that have washed up at the main weir at the Menindee Lakes, in outback NSW, Australia on March 16, 2023. AAP Image/Supplied by Geoffrey Looney

Thousands of fish have been found dead along the banks of Lake Cargelligo in western New South Wales (NSW), sparking a formal investigation by the state’s fisheries department.

The mass fish kill event—centred around the town located 200 kilometres west of Parkes—has raised alarm among ecologists and locals alike.