Visitors out for a winter walk at Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland got a harsh dose of reality when they looked out over the west side of Lake Hancock: thousands of dead fish, almost all tilapia, lining the marsh edge. The shoreline is now slick with carcasses, the air thick with a rotting smell, and black and turkey vultures are crowding the scene along Wading Bird Way.
People on the causeways said they watched the birds swarm the fish and quickly alerted park staff. For now, the trails remain open, but rangers are telling visitors to give both the wildlife and the carcasses plenty of room.
Park Officials Point to a Brutal Cold Snap
Staff at Circle B are putting the blame squarely on the recent cold front that shoved air temperatures into the mid-20s Fahrenheit. They describe the fish kill as heaviest along the preserve’s western shoreline.
In an interview with WTSP, reserve manager Eric Eversole said the dead fish were “almost entirely tilapia” and that the nonnative species simply “could not tolerate the prolonged cold.” He added that crews do not plan to haul the fish out; instead, they will let scavengers and natural decomposition do the cleanup work and restore balance in the marsh.
Cold Stress, Not Pollution, Remains the Leading Theory
Biologists say sudden drops in water temperature can easily overwhelm warm-water fish, especially invasive tilapia that pack into shallow Florida lakes. When the water cools too fast, it can trigger mass die-offs without any chemical spill or pollution event involved…