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Features: Like all cutthroat trout, this species boasts bright red streaks on either side of its “throat.” You can tell it’s a westslope cutthroat by its spot pattern – the majority of the black spots are found on the back end of the fish with rather few ahead of the dorsal fin. Habitat: While westslope cutthroat trout was once the most widely distributed cutthroat in North America, its home in Oregon has always been limited to the John Day Basin. During the cooler months of summer you can find them in places like Strawberry Creek and upper Canyon Creek. As…

Features: The name “cutthroat” is derived from the two red slash marks or streaks on the underside of the lower jaw. Lahontans don't develop the intense crimson or gold coloration that other subspecies do, but the males can develop some red on their sides. Spots on the head can help distinguish this subspecies from other inland cutthroat subspecies. Habitat: This variety has adapted to the dry, highly alkaline waters and was once widespread throughout the Lahontan Basin of California, Nevada and southeast Oregon. Today, native populations can be found in the Whitehorse and Willow creek basins in the far southeastern…

Features: These fish are light silvery-white, dark on top, and have up to 8 dark, broken stripes running along the sides of their bodies. They are typically less than 10 lbs but can grow to 22 lbs. They have two dorsal fins, the front one with eight or nine spines and the rear one with one spine and 13 or 14 soft rays. Habitat: Hybrid bass were originally stocked in Tenmile Lakes on the south coast and in Ana Reservoir in Lake County. They have since been introduced into Thompson Reservoir, also in Lake County. The only established population is…

Features: Spiny dogfish are gray or brown with white spots on their back and a white belly. They can grow to be 5-feet long. They are called "spiny" as they have a spine behind each of the fins on their backs. Habitat: Spiny dogfish are widely dispersed, traveling from Alaska to Chile, and from intertidal waters down to 3,000 feet. They mostly eat small fish, squid, and octopus. Techniques: Being relatively small, spiny dogfish can be taken with light tackle. They tend to school around prey over soft bottoms. A good amount of weight will probably be necessary to keep…

Features: When in the ocean coho salmon can look very similar to Chinook salmon . However, coho will have a white gum line on the lower jaw with darker color both inside and outside of the gum line, and will only have spots on the upper lobe of their tails. When coho return to freshwater they become red on their sides and dark greenish on their backs, heads, and fins. Coho adults may reach 25 pounds or more, but rarely exceed 15 pounds. Habitat: Small, relatively low-gradient tributary streams with pea to orange-sized gravel for spawning and juvenile rearing. Coho…

Features: Warmouth have more of a bass-shaped body and a larger mouth than the other sunfishes, other than the green sunfish. Warmouth are yellowish brown in color with three or four brownish bars radiating back from the eye over the gill cover. They can be distinguished from the green sunfish by the absence of turquoise mottling on the gill cover and the lack of a dark spot at the rear base of the dorsal fin. Habitat: In Oregon, warmouth are present in a few coastal lakes and widely distributed in the Columbia basin, but are not commonly caught by anglers…

Features: Bullheads found in Oregon are distinguished from channel catfish by their square or rounded tails and lack of spotting. They seldom exceed two pounds and 18-inches long. Brown bullheads are a mottled yellowish-brown with a yellow belly and dark chin “whiskers” or barbels that are white near the base. They have a square tail. Habitat: Bullheads are found on the bottom in the shallows of mud-bottomed ponds, lakes, reservoirs and backwaters of rivers. The brown species is common throughout the state. Technique: Bullheads can be caught any month of the year, but fishing is best from the first warm…

Features: Common carp are deep-bodied, heavy-looking fish with short heads and forked tails. They have large (really large) scales ranging from grey to bronze. Two barbels hang from each side of the upper lip of their subterminal (near the bottom of the head) mouth. This distinguishes them from goldfish that have no barbels. The dorsal fin is elongated. Habitat: Though tolerant of most conditions, common carp prefer large bodies of slow moving or standing water with soft sediments like mud or sand, and good growths of aquatic vegetation. They’re omnivorous bottom feeders that prefer aquatic insects, worms, mollusks and zooplankton…

Features: While in the ocean, Chinook salmon often have a purple hue to their backs with silvery sides and bellies, large oblong black spots on the back, and round black spots on both lobes of the tail (note that tail spotting may be obscured in ocean fish by “silver” in the tail). Upon returning to freshwater to spawn, Chinook darken in color and develop red on their bellies and fins. A key identifier is the black gum line on the lower jaw with dark colors both inside and outside of the gum line. Spawning generally occurs from August to early…

Features: Yellow perch are golden, with six to nine dark vertical bars. They have two well-separated dorsal fins; the second fin has two or three spines. Lower fins are yellowish-orange and, unlike walleye, yellow perch do not have canine teeth. Maximum size in Oregon exceeds 3 pounds and 18-inches long. They are prolific spawners, often resulting in an overpopulation of stunted fish. Habitat: Yellow perch prefer lakes, reservoirs and slower moving streams that have cool, clean water and ample vegetation. Perch bite readily and are therefore popular with young and novice anglers. Technique: In the spring and fall, find yellow…

Features: Coastal cutthroat trout are typically are blue/green on top, red along the lateral line, and white on the belly. They are lightly or heavily spotted and adults have a red slash mark on the throat. Habitat: The most common variety of trout in Oregon is the coastal cutthroat, found in the streams and beaver ponds in coastal drainages. They also are stocked in high mountain hike-in lakes where the water stays cool throughout the summer. Techniques: Cutthroats that are year-round residents of small streams may not get any bigger than 8- or 9-inches, but can reward the angler with…

Features: Bullheads present in Oregon are distinguished from channel catfish by their square or rounded tails and lack of spotting. They seldom exceed 18 inches in length and a weight of 2 pounds. Yellow bullheads are a more uniform yellow color with white or cream chin barbels and a rounded tail. Habitat: Bullheads are found on the bottom in the shallows of mud-bottomed ponds, lakes, reservoirs and backwaters of rivers. The yellow bullhead is found mainly in the Willamette basin. Technique: Bullheads can be caught any month of the year, but fishing is best from the first warm days of…