Fish kill crisis deepens as thousands of dead fish are found in northern NSW

As the federal government and Labor party launch their own reviews into the mass fish kill in NSW's Menindee, the NSW state government has confirmed thousands of fish have been found dead almost 900km away along the Macintyre River.

The mass fish kill crisis in NSW is now affecting the state's north with thousands of carcasses found on the banks of Lake Inverell.

The federal government has launched a review into why up to a million fish died along the Darling River at Menindee, in the state's west, earlier this month.

It will also analyse how future deaths can be avoided within the parameters of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

But the NSW government on Tuesday night confirmed thousands of fish have since been found dead almost 900km away along the Macintyre River, one of the basin's northern-most catchments.

Photos posted to social media by Inverell locals depict swathes of dead freshwater shrimp and fish washed ashore.

The state's primary industries department is monitoring the situation with local council and WaterNSW while fisheries officers are looking into reports of larger dead fish upstream.

Dead fish have been found on northern NSW riverbanks Source: SBS

The Lower Darling, Barwon-Darling, Namoi, Lower Murrumbidgee and Mannus Creek areas are also on high alert for fish deaths before the drought breaks, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority says.

Meanwhile, the Australian Academy of Science is studying the Menindee fish kill on request from Labor leader Bill Shorten, who has asked for the findings before parliament sits in February.

Water Minister David Littleproud said the first round of draft reports from their "fair dinkum independent panel" are due by February 20, with the final findings to be handed down the following month.