That lake you’ve been fishing for years? It's probably a different color than what it used to be. From the Adirondacks in New York to the lakes of Minnesota, freshwater bodies across much of northeastern North America are taking on a brownish, tea-like color. And the fish in those waters are changing along with them.
According to a study titled ‘Differential effects of freshwater browning across fish species: consequences for individual- to community-level fish traits in north temperate lakes,’ published in Biological Reviews by researchers at McGill University, a phenomenon called "freshwater browning" is transforming fish populations in hundreds of lakes across North America and Europe. The findings carry real implications for the more than 43 million Americans who fish freshwater lakes and rivers, according to the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, because the species at the end of your line may not be what they once were.
