08/07/2026
We’re at that time of year now, so please be extra careful when choosing places for you and your pets to go swimming! Fernan and Hayden are always affected but the bottom of the article tells us things to look out for when evaluating water elsewhere!
🚨 HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM ADVISORIES ISSUED FOR FERNAN LAKE AND NORTH END OF HAYDEN LAKE
COEUR D’ALENE/HAYDEN, Idaho — Panhandle Health District, working with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, has issued public health advisories for Fernan Lake and the upper, or north, end of Hayden Lake after recent water sampling detected cyanobacteria, commonly called harmful algae blooms or blue-green algae.
Officials are urging people to use caution when recreating at both lakes because cyanobacteria can potentially produce dangerous toxins known as cyanotoxins.
While the advisory specifically identifies Fernan Lake and the north end of Hayden Lake, officials say people should use caution throughout both lakes because blooms can move and spread with wind, currents and boat traffic.
⚠️ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Avoid water that is discolored, murky or has visible streaks, scum, globs or thick green mats.
Keep children and pets away from affected water.
If you swim, bathe or otherwise come into contact with water containing a bloom, wash off with fresh water afterward.
Boiling or filtering lake water will not remove cyanobacteria, meaning people with private domestic water systems that draw directly from the lakes should use extra caution.
If eating fish from the lake, officials recommend removing the skin, fat and internal organs before cooking because toxins are more likely to accumulate in those tissues.
Pets, children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems can be particularly vulnerable to exposure.
Symptoms associated with harmful algae exposure can include rashes, hives, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing and wheezing.
More serious exposure, particularly from swallowing contaminated water, can affect the liver and nervous system. Anyone with symptoms that persist should contact a healthcare provider. Pet owners should contact their veterinarian if an animal may have been exposed.
Cyanobacteria naturally occur in Idaho waterways, but during warm weather their populations can rapidly increase into blooms. Some blooms can release toxins, particularly when concentrations become high.
The appearance can vary significantly. Water may simply look cloudy or discolored, while other blooms can appear as streaks, floating scum or thick green material along the shoreline.
Residents and visitors are being urged to pay attention to changing water conditions even outside the currently identified advisory areas.
Current Idaho harmful algae bloom advisories can be found through the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare recreational water advisory page.
More information about cyanobacteria and harmful algae blooms is also available through the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
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