Whitefish Lake unusually warm for mid-June

Beach-goers might be enjoying the unusually warm water of Whitefish Lake this June, but the early spike in temperature could have big impacts on aquatic life.

The Whitefish Lake surface water temperature is 6.5 degrees higher than the average temperature between 2007-2014 for mid-June. On June 17, the water temperature ranged from 64.8 to 66.1 at sites monitored by the Whitefish Lake Institute.

Typically, runoff contributes cold water to Whitefish Lake in late May and June.

“Due to snowpack levels and lack of spring rain, we’ve had a low runoff,” said Whitefish Lake Institute director Mike Koopal.

There’s also been less precipitation than normal, and more sunny and calm days, which leads to the lake heating quickly.

“As a result, the lake is stratifying earlier and that stratification most likely will be more pronounced this year,” Koopal said.

If the conditions continue, Koopal expects more and denser algal blooms and aquatic plant growth.

“In general, all chemical and biological processes increase with warmer temperatures,” Koopal said. “We will also see lower dissolved oxygen levels as oxygen solubility decreases when water temperature increases. This means potentially stressful conditions for cold-water fish species.”

Koopal is particularly concerned about the potential for toxic blue-green algae blooms if the surface temperature stays above average.

“Because blue-green algae blooms can kill dogs or livestock that drink the water and human contact exposure can cause eye irritation or a rash, we keep an eye out for any blooms especially in places that are wind protected such as the Lazy Bay channel,” he warned.

Koopal asks that anyone who sees unusual water conditions in any Whitefish area lakes call the Whitefish Lake Institute at 862-4327.