LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — As Dakota Ford cast his line for the first time in years at Moon Lake in Plymouth Township, he couldn't help but notice all the dead fish floating nearby.
"Something's in the water, that shouldn't be in the water, something killing all the fish off. Fish have been in here for years, now they are all dying," said Dakota Ford, Nanticoke.
At one point, Ford says he was able to set down his pole and pull fish right out of the water bare-handed, something he says you should not be able to do, "They would see you right before you even get down on your knees to grab them, they are spooked."
According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the department received several calls in which people stated there were 20 to 30 dead trout and a number of other fish floating in the water.
A representative told Newswatch 16 an investigation is currently underway.
Newswatch 16 spoke with several fishermen at Moon Lake who say you only have to walk a couple of yards, look down, and you will see dead fish floating onto the shore.
"I don't like seeing dead fish up on the bank, it shows that we are losing fish here and that there's less fish to be caught, meaning less fun," said Connor Mensinger, Berwick.
"We've been here for a few hours, and there's just a lot of stuff washing up on the shore, and it's terrible," said Tom, Nanticoke.
Tom from Nanticoke caught several trout using a small net.
He says as soon as he took the fish out of the water, they were dead, "Not even thirty seconds later, they're dying, and we gotta release them or get rid of them, you know."
As more dead fish seem to crowd the shorelines, people like Ford hope the problem gets sorted out soon.
"I wanna see the fish in the water swimming and stuff and be able and to catch them and not walk around and see them dead on the shore," said Ford.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission say they are looking into everything from poor oxygen levels in the water, excessive heat, and, worst case scenario, some kind of pollution as to what could have caused the fish kill.
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