Bass, catfish & other fish are dying mysteriously in this SC lake. Here’s what we know

State officials are looking into why crappie, yellow perch, flathead catfish, striped bass and bluegill were found dead in Lake Greenwood.

The S.C. Department of Environmental Services, which monitors water quality, and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, which manages wildlife, were notified earlier this month that dead fish were found in the Cross Hill area on the southern end of the lake.

The agencies have not determined a cause but have sought information from facilities upstream of the fish kill to see if they have had operational issues.

Lake Greenwood was formed in 1995 when a hydroelectric dam was built across the Saluda River near Chappells. It has 212 miles of shoreline and covers 11,400 acres in Greenwood, Laurens and Newberry counties.

The Saluda River, the Reedy River and Rabon Creek feed Lake Greenwood. Water from Lake Greenwood feeds into Lake Murray.

SCDNR collected fish samples, and SCDES is assessing water samples.

“The majority of reports related to the fish kill have been localized to the lower portion of the lake, below the lower train trestle,” environmental services said in a news release. “Isolated reports of single dead fish in other areas of the lake are likely not related to this incident.”

The agency said fish kills are relatively common and often caused by oxygen depletion, excessive algal blooms and high water temperatures, but those do not appear to be the reason for this fish kill.

State officials ask anyone who sees more dead fish or knows something about the current situation to call SCDNR’s 24-hour reporting line at 1‑800‑922‑5431.