SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, (WINK) — For decades, anglers could find freshwater fish like bluegill, sunfish, and largemouth bass in places like the Sanibel Slough. But after Hurricane Ian‘s historic storm surge pushed salt water across the island, those fish largely disappeared.

Now, as some freshwater habitats slowly recover, scientists are asking an important question: Should freshwater game fish be reintroduced to Sanibel?

“It’s a good question,” said Chris Lechowicz, director of Wildlife and Habitat Management for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). “But right now, my personal opinion is that we probably should not do it at this time.”

The answer starts with understanding how Sanibel’s freshwater system developed.

According to SCCF, freshwater game fish were not historically native to Sanibel. The island once lacked the deep freshwater lakes and waterways needed to support species like largemouth bass and bluegill year-round. As development expanded in the 1960s, lakes were created and freshwater habitats became more common. Fish introduced during that period eventually spread throughout the island.

By the early 2000s, freshwater species were thriving in places like the Sanibel Slough.

“A lot of people would fish in there,” Lechowicz said. “The bluegill and other sunfish were actually very common.”

That changed dramatically in September 2022.

Hurricane Ian’s storm surge inundated the entire island with seawater, the first island-wide saltwater overwash since 1926. Additional surge events from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 added even more saltwater to Sanibel’s freshwater habitats.

“When that happened, all of our freshwater bodies became brackish,” Lechowicz said. “Many became highly brackish, and a lot of the freshwater wildlife was not able to tolerate that.”

The result was widespread mortality among freshwater fish and other wildlife.

“I would walk along the Sanibel Slough and just saw loads of dead fish,” Lechowicz said. “Bluegills, sunfish, turtles. They really did not have a tolerance for that.”

While some shallow freshwater habitats have recovered after multiple rainy seasons, many deeper lakes and waterways continue to hold elevated salt levels. Those conditions remain unsuitable for most freshwater game fish.

“We are not at the stage where if we released those fish they would be able to make it,” Lechowicz said.

Even if salinity levels eventually improve, scientists say there are new obstacles.

Saltwater species such as snook, tarpon, and sheepshead now occupy some waterways that once supported freshwater fish. Invasive Mayan cichlids, which became established before Ian, also remain common in many freshwater habitats.

“With the presence of Mayan cichlids and these saltwater fish, the freshwater game fish may have a hard time in there,” Lechowicz said.

Despite the challenges, some anglers see value in restoring freshwater fishing opportunities.

Cape Coral resident Brian Crowley, who was surf fishing on Sanibel, said freshwater fishing would offer a different experience for local anglers.

“Of course people would use it,” Crowley said. “It’s a different game, different setups, different locations. It’d be interesting.”

For now, however, SCCF researchers are focused on monitoring how Sanibel’s freshwater ecosystems continue to recover from multiple storm surge events.

Lechowicz said the long-term future of freshwater game fish on Sanibel may ultimately depend on how frequently the island experiences major storm surge in the decades ahead.

“We are going to get a storm surge at some time in the future,” Lechowicz said. “It’s just how long is that gap.”

As scientists continue studying the island’s changing waterways, one thing is clear: Sanibel’s freshwater habitats are still writing their next chapter after Ian.