By JOHN F. HILL, The Press-Enterprise

An estimated 10 million to 15 million tiny baitfish went belly up at Lake Elsinore last weekend, the worst fish die-off since 2002, officials said. Piles of dead threadfin shad still clogged the lake’s shoreline Tuesday. In some spots, the stench was overpowering for drivers who had the misfortune of rolling down their windows down near the lake. Mass fish die-offs have been a historic problem at Lake Elsinore, more so than at other Inland lakes. A shallow, naturally occurring lake about 20 miles northwest of Temecula, Lake Elsinore is replenished by runoff and recycled water, unlike other area lakes that are actually man-made reservoirs and have water imported through aqueducts. But before this summer, Lake Elsinore hadn’t seen a big die-off since 2002. The number of dead fish found last weekend dwarfed the estimated 500,000 carp that died at the lake three weeks ago. The shad — each 2 to 3 inches long — began dying of oxygen starvation Friday. Initially, officials thought it was a minor incident. But by Sunday, the severity was obvious. …

10 million to 15 million fish die in Lake Elsinore via Apocadocs