Hundreds of fish found dead at Willow Pond in Cherokee Park

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Hundreds of fish have died at Willow Pond in Cherokee Park.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says it happened in the last couple of days.

A fisheries program coordinator visited the pond on Tuesday and saw several bass, bluegill, catfish and carp that were dead.

"We can’t be sure of the cause, but a combination of the hot weather with a likely algal bloom is the likely cause," Nathan Brooks, program manager with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said. "Ultimately, oxygen depletion is the likely root cause, although we can’t be 100% certain at this point."

Not all fish were killed. Healthy fish were still spotted in the water.

Brooks said it's likely not unsafe to fish or eat anything caught in the pond.

"There is no expectation that it is unsafe to fish or consume what is caught," he said. "No matter what body of water someone fishes, consuming the fish they caught is a personal decision with varying factors."