Snoutfish sometimes stick their noses above water, so theoretically they could be breathing (not sure exactly how that works, but whatever)
Weeeell, some fish actually can breathe air, or at least in a limited capacity, and will surface if the oxygen content of the body of water they're in is too low. If the lake water tastes like lemonade, maybe the oxygen content is shitty?

Also... dear god, that poem. You went through all five pages of it? Poor unfortunate soul!
Seriously, Stouffer, if you can't rhyme, don't write a poem with rhyming (though I fear if she'd written an alliterative poem, it would be worse)!