Is It Safe To Eat Fish From Lake Erie In New York State?

A new report calls the conditions in Lake Erie poor. Is it safe to consume fish from the lake? According to the 'State of the Great Lakes 2022', Lake Erie is in poor condition and it's not getting better. Nutrient concentrations and algae blooms are causing problems in the lake, according to the report by the United States and Canadian governments. Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director for the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, told WGRZ,

Lake Erie is almost as bad as it gets. We're not headed in the right direction.

Toxic Chemicals

The assessment for toxic chemicals in Lake Erie is less than stellar, according to the report.

Wildlife

While Lake Erie definitely has room for improvement in the assessments above, it's the lake's status for some wildlife that is concerning. As you can see from the chart below, Lake Erie is red and yellow, indicating that things are not ideal for the species for which the lake provides habitat.

In addition to algae blooms and nutrient concentrations, Lake Erie is used for industry, which is potentially leaching chemicals into its water. So, before you consume fish from the Great Lake, New York State offers advice on eating fish from Lake Erie.

Fish from waters that are close to industrial sources are more likely to be contaminated than fish from other waters.

Women under the age of 50, who are able to have children, and youth under the age of 15 are advised to limit how much fish they consume because they are more sensitive to any potential chemicals.

The primary chemicals of concern in the Western Region are PCBs, dioxin and mirex. These chemicals build up in your body over time.

Here are the fish that live in Lake Erie and how frequently they can safely be consumed:

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