One of California Department Fish & Game’s concerns with the creation of Lake Almanor was the lack of a fish ladder at the dam. While the issue was being debated in the summer of 1916 occurred a massive fish kill at Lake Almanor. Deputy Fish & Game Warden Frank Cady went to the lake to collect some samples to be analyzed. The fish, it was discovered, did not possess any disease. The problem was with the. lake itself and water quality. There was a tremendous amount of vegetative matter decomposing in the lake from logs, brush and such from the initial flooding. It had all the characteristics of millpond, and coupled with warm summer temperatures was the problem of the fish kill. Once fall arrived with cooler temperatures, along with the rains, the water quality improved, and so did the health of the fish.