Recently, after the receding of the torrential rain flood peak in the Sha Ying River area of Zhoukou, Henan Province, a large number of fish gathered, causing some residents to go fishing with nets, buckets, and even by riding rubber boats late at night. A large crowd gathered at the scene, with witnesses describing it as “packed like sardines”.
Due to the impact of heavy rainfall in the early stage, the water level in the Zhoukou section of the Sha Ying River rose. As the water level continued to drop, on August 19th, several netizens posted videos claiming that a large number of fish appeared in the river channel and shallow water areas along the banks. Some people went to the riverside at night to catch fish with the intention of bringing them home for consumption.
The video shows that some residents and netizens gathered late at night, using their hands or nets and buckets to catch a large number of fish in a short period of time, causing a temporary hustle and bustle. Some residents mentioned catching a cart-load of fish within an hour.
According to a report from “Extreme News” on the 19th, local resident Mr. Yang introduced that around 1 a.m. on the 19th, when he arrived at the water area, it was already packed with people, with both the upper and lower sections of the Sha Ying River bridge crowded with people. Some wore headlamps and carried fishing nets, some cast nets to catch fish, and others went underwater in rubber boats to catch fish, showcasing a variety of fishing methods.
“I just went to experience the fun of fishing, caught over thirty catties of fish in total, and ended up giving them all away to others. There were also people selling fish at the scene, initially for 6 yuan per fish, but eventually just giving them away,” said Mr. Yang, who also witnessed a child accidentally falling into the water, but luckily was quickly rescued.
Another local resident from Zhoukou stated, “We arrived last night around 11 o’clock, caught fish barehanded for over an hour, filled up a car, totaling a few hundred catties.”
On the morning of the 19th, an official notice from Zhoukou stated that although the flood peak of the Sha Ying River had just receded, the water flow was still strong, and there was a risk of landslides along the riverbank. Some residents going to fish near the Hanyang Road Bridge and Zhongzhou Road Bridge posed great safety hazards and disrupted the traffic order at the scene. Starting today, temporary traffic control will be implemented at the Hanyang Road Bridge and Zhongzhou Road Bridge.
On the same day, Zhoukou City Emergency Management Bureau also issued a statement, stating that the Sha Ying River’s water level was still 1.12 meters above the warning level, with the river situation remaining complex. Some parts of the embankment soil are still loose, posing safety hazards such as undercurrents, eddies, sudden rises in water level, and collapses.
Media reports such as “Elephant News” quoted Jia Tao, director of the Henan Provincial Institute of Aquatic Sciences, explaining that after the water receded, a large number of fish appeared in the river channel, a common phenomenon known as “flow fish.” Flow fish usually occur after water and sand adjustments or heavy rainfall – the surrounding water suddenly becomes swift, and fish have the habit of swimming against the current, leading to asphyxiation. The crucial reason is oxygen deficiency. During heavy rainfall, it is often cloudy, with insufficient sunlight preventing aquatic plants from producing enough oxygen, exacerbating the oxygen deficiency.
These fish after heavy rainfall are more exposed to pollution sources in the surrounding area, and the concentration of pollutants increases as the water recedes, posing higher risks for the fish with multiple uncontrollable factors. “Therefore, it is recommended not to consume fish caught in such situations.”
Affected by heavy rainfall in central and southwestern Henan from August 10th to 12th, severe floods occurred in the Beiru River and Sha Ying River basins. At 12:24 on August 12th, the water level at the Zhoukou Hydrological Station on the Sha Ying River reached the warning level of 46.10 meters, marking the formation of the first flood of 2026 for the Sha Ying River.
At 3:50 on August 14th, the flood peak passed through the Zhoukou Hydrological Station, with the flood level reaching 50.93 meters, 4.83 meters higher than the warning level and 1.10 meters higher than the guaranteed level of 49.83 meters, surpassing the previous historical highest water level of 50.15 meters by 0.78 meters, setting a new record.
Around 11 p.m. on August 13th, a collapse of about 30 meters appeared at the eastern embankment of the Jalu River under the Xinbei Overpass in Chuankui District, Zhoukou, which further expanded due to the erosion of water flow. After the passage of the flood peak, the river water level gradually receded, but on the 19th, the Zhoukou officials still warned that the water situation in the Sha Ying River remained complex and changeable, with some embankment soils still soft, posing safety hazards such as undercurrents, eddies, sudden rises in water level, and collapses.