Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Water chemistry Something Smells Fishy....

My pond currently smells "fishy". You know, I can smell the actual fish...it's not a foul odor, but stronger than usual. I don't believe anything is wrong but I'm just curious about it. Does anyone know why a body of water will smell more "fishy" at times? It seems like the fish are more "frisky" eaters when the smell is more "fishy." Any correlation?

The smell is usualy coralated with Larg Mouth Bass in the area....this is what I have been told

I also noticed the same this summer in my trout pond. More so in the evening and after feeding, both of which put the fish at or around surface. Ah, the sweet smell of success. If it's not accompanied by dead fish then I'd say good on ya. It's a bragging right we have all earned as pond owners. If my wife can smell fish through the kitchen window, while cooking turkey, while I'm ice fishing with the boys, then I've done my job.

I had this problem with a client's pond this summer on several occasions. It was just stocked with fathead minnows and low concentration of bluegills. I think it was just due to some algae growth. We have an enzyme that is often used for getting rid of smells that did the trick. Any other solutions? I'm guessing that most people don't have a problem, but we all have some clients that are a little more sensitive to things to put it nicely.
robert B

Did the lake just turnover? If so this may smell fishy. Big POnd in GA most of the time when you smell fish in the summer it is bluegill spawning not bass. You usually don't get alot of bass spawning at the sametime, but with bluegill you do and can find a "bed" by the smell.

FYI -- Live fishes in the water do not cause it to smell fishy. Otherwise it would ALWAYS smell fishy since there is always relatively the same amount of fish biomass in the pond throughout the year.

Fishy smells coming from the water are caused almost always by certain algae blooms. Certain species of algae produce metabolic by products that "stink" or cause tastes/flavors. The odors can smell like various things and fishy is one of them. Also some of the by products of these algae give water offensive tastes or odors. I won't go into naming the offensive metabolites. But the metabolites are fairly aromatic/volatile and readily dissolve into and evaporate from the water.

The exception to this is when you have a lot of dead fish present and the decompostional odors can produce a fish smell to the water. But live fish do not make the water smell fishy; live fish are basically clean and odor free. The odor or nose test of fresh fish in the market is an example of what I'm talking about. Cleaned fish that smells fishy is starting to spoil. Bacterial spoilage of fish flesh does not take long once the fish dies and is exposed to the air and warmer temps.

Another example is fish such as catfish at catfish farms that occasionally have an off flavor. Catfish farms always taste test their fish before harvest. This off flavor is caused by algae blooms in the pond and the fish absorb the algae metabolites. Reduce the algae and or put the fish in clean water and the off flavor dissipates fairly quickly.

Thanks for all the responses. Bill,I don't have any floaters or anything to indicate that decay is an issue. Other than this occasional smell, which is gone again now, how do I know about a likely algae bloom in muddy water? My pond has yet to settle after six months, so I have no clue what's going on in the water. There's maybe 2 inches of visibility in some parts. I just checked the PH with an aquarium kit and it shows to be about 7.5 PH. Any further advice is appreciated - I have a post in the muddy water section titled "Clear as Mud" if anyone is so kind to surf over there. Thanks....

If you get the fishy smell and it comes & goes then it is caused for sure by algae. Algae can grow in silty water but not as well as in mud free water. Micro-algae can contribute to the water cloudiness and often impart to the water various colors.

Cody's replies are right on the money.
Follow the water.

I know this is old but found it thru a google search. I have this smell as well. It is not offensive but it is there. I notice it when I am by the aeration or when I feed the fish and they are actively splashing the water. Is this something I should be preparing for an algae outbreak or is there something I need to be proactive about?
My pond is clear with a little FA. I also have something else starting that I will look at closer but it is stringy but tough and not slimy like FA. I will get back with more on that.
Thanks
Dave

I can smell the fish when I feed also. Been that way for years, I consider it normal.