APOPKA, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says February’s historic cold snap is to blame for a massive fish kill at Lake Apopka.
The agency has received more than 450 reports of fish kills statewide since Feb. 1, 2026.
According to agency officials, the recent Arctic blast has significantly impacted Florida wildlife, particularly non-native species like Tilapia. The fish are dying due to cold stress and subsequent infections after temperatures dropped across the region.
At Newton Park in Winter Garden, hundreds of dead fish currently line the shoreline of Lake Apopka.
Visitors to the park told Channel 9 they could smell the stench of decaying fish from a distance.
“It smelled really bad and then my mom pointed out the dead fish,” said Winter Garden resident Jackie Timbers.
Ricky Keller, an Ocoee resident, agreed the odor was hard to miss. “The smell is awful,” Keller said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission expects other areas throughout the state could soon deal with similar fish kills as fish die from secondary infections caused by cold stress.
According to FWC the following counties have all reported Fish Kills including both fresh and saltwater species.
- Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Franklin, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia.
FWC is reminding folks to report fish kills to their fish kill hotline: 800-636-0511 or online at myfwc.com/reportfishkill.
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