Reports of fish kills on several of the Finger Lakes has prompted testing by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, officials confirmed this week.

David Lemon, fisheries manager for the DEC's Region 7, said Tuesday, "I've heard that several of the western Finger Lakes are experiencing significant fish mortality events." Locally, he mentioned Cayuga and Skaneateles lakes.

"We've had no reports of significant die-offs in either Owasco and Otisco Lakes," he said.

Dennis Rhoads, a veteran angler from Summerhill, said he's seen dead fish on Cayuga Lake. He said he's also been talking to other anglers on Cayuga and Seneca Lakes and has been reading reports from fishermen on LakeOntarioUnited.com, an online fishing forum. Earlier this week, he said:

"Last several weeks we have seen lots of dead fish on Cayuga Lake. Bass, perch, sunfish etc.," he said. "We were on lake yesterday at latest and saw recent dead fish. Guys are reporting big kills on all Finger Lakes from Hemlock, Canandagua to Cayuga."

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© Wikimedia CommonsYellow Perch, (Perca flavescens)

Lemon said "early on in the event, Region 8 staff collected fish from Canandaigua for analysis by the Cornell Fish pathology lab. Similarly, we collected several fish from Cayuga for testing."

He said results from both Canandaigua and Cayuga showed showed no "smoking gun.

"All fish sampled from Region 7 tested negative for VHSv and other disease agents of concern, while preliminary results from Canandaigua lake indicated VHS was not involved. Region 8 is waiting on final results from the tested fish."

Lemon said the Cayuga fish had moderate to heavy loads of external and/or gill parasites which, by themselves shouldn't have been enough to kill fish.

"However, given the time of year (spawning season or post spawn) and the increasing water temperatures, the combination can be lethal to some of the fish," he said.

"We will attempt to collect a sample of fish from Skaneateles (today) since recent reports have come in about dead bass. Since VHS has been found in Skaneateles in the past we would like to know if it is again flaring up," he said.

VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicema) was identified by Cornell and federal officials in Skaneateles Lake in 2007 following reports of a sizeable fish kill of rock and smallmouth bass in the lake.

The disease causes fish to hemorrhage and destroys the organs that make blood cells. The virus has been identified in 20 various freshwater species and resulted in large fish kills where it has been found.

It is not a health risk for humans.

Fear over its spread, though, has resulted in regulations by the DEC governing the transportation of bait minnows. Fisherman who possess minnows and lack a receipt from a bait store indicating the bait is VHS-free risk a ticket.