What's causing dozens of dead fish to wash up at Minneapolis' Cedar Lake?

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - On the shores of Cedar Lake in Minneapolis, there's a smelly and startling sight.

"It's pretty gross, smells pretty bad, it's not fun to be around," one visitor said.

In the northern portion of the lake, dead fish have been found floating to the surface and ending up along the shoreline. The crappie fish carcasses have been accumulating on the shorelines since the beginning of June.

Our crews spotted the fish away from the beaches, but not far from a popular fishing hole.

"It's disturbing to see the fish like that," said Christopher Shappell, fisherman. "I can't put anything in my head when it comes to that."

Unsettling, but the Minnesota Department of Resources isn't sounding the alarm yet, saying low oxygen levels in the water are likely responsible for the summer fish kill.

One official stated, "The potential for low oxygen to kill fish is always present under a certain combination of conditions. However, larger-scale events are rare."

The DNR says there are no health risks, still some lakegoers are cautious.

"I don't think a lot of people want to come with that, seeing that," said Shappell.

The DNR says summer fish kill can be attributed to a number of factors such as hot temperatures and algae bloom.