Non-Game Fish

• Non-game fish include the minnow family, chubs, suckers, and pikeminnow. These species are not subject to ODFW fishing regulations, but some may be protected by law under the Threatened and Endangered Species Act of 1973. A list can be found at the ODFW web site in the Species Information area under the Non-Game Fish section.

Blue Chub (Gila coerulea)

• LOCATION: These fish species are found in East Lake, Lake Billy Chinook, Paulina Lake and occasionally in Paulina Creek as emigrants from the lake.
• SIZE: Maximum age is about 10 years; maximum lengths area near 9"; weight is usually less than one pound.
• SPAWNING: They gather in large schools to broadcast spawn from July-mid August and deposit as many as 25,000-30,000 eggs. They spawn adjacent to the shoreline in areas of clean gravel or large rock in 3' of water or less. The adhesive eggs hatch in 7-9 days and the young remain in the shallow areas until age 3 when they reach sexual maturity.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Rocky pools of creeks and small to large rivers, rocky shores of reservoirs and lakes. In upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, they can be found along rocky shores or in open water. In general they avoid marshy shores. They may move into deep lake waters in winter and they can tolerate low dissolved oxygen levels. They are preyed upon by brown and rainbow trout in Paulina Lake and by fish-eating birds and mammals such as osprey and mink. Their diet consists mainly of diptera larvae, cladocerans, gastropods, and amphipods. This overlaps the diet of rainbow trout, thus they are direct competitors for food.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON: It was indigenous to the Klamath River system of California and Oregon and like the tui chub, was most likely introduced to Paulina Lake by anglers using them as live bait for large trout.
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Bridgelip Sucker (Catastomus columbianus)

• LOCATION: Bridgelip suckers are present in the Deschutes River from Steelhead Falls downstream to Lake Billy Chinook, Whychus Creek, and Indian Ford Creek.
• SIZE: length 5" at maturity to 17"
• SPAWNING: They spawn in the spring and broadcast their eggs
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: They prefer colder water of small, swift rivers with gravel to rocky bottoms, but are also found in rivers where current is more moderate and the bottom comprised of sand and mud. The sharp edged bottom lip indicates that their primary food is algae which is obtained by scraping rocks. They may not be a competitor with trout for food, but rather a competitor for spatial habitat.
• REPRODUCTION: Populations in many Central Oregon lakes and reservoirs suggest that it adapts well to lake environments.
• IN CENTRAL OREGON:
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Chiselmouth (Acrocheilus alutaceus)

• LOCATION: These fish specie are found in the mainstream of the Deschutes River from Big Falls to Lake Billy Chinook, lower reaches of Whychus Creek, and Paulina Lake.
• SIZE: Length of about 12"; age can be up to 6 years.
• SPAWNING: They spawn in streams late June-early July when the water temperatures exceed 62º F. They lay about 2,000 eggs on the bottom and buried among boulders.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: They feed on diatoms, surface insects and vegetation. They may serve as a food source for large piscivorous fish such as brown and bull trout.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON:
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Dace Species (Rhinichthys)

• LOCATION: Dace are indigenous to Central Oregon, however their total distribution is unknown. They are known to be present in lower Whychus Creek and the Deschutes River downstream of Steelhead Falls. Almost all stream systems in Central Oregon that are above 50 º F can have the Dace species.
• SIZE: Length is 4"-6"
• SPAWNING: Spawning occurs in spring in shallow gravelly streams. No nest is constructed, but the males guard a territory over which they entice the females to spawn.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: They are bottom dwellers; their wedge-shaped head and reduced air bladder have allowed them to adapt well to holding position on the bottom, even in a swift stream. They are solitary rather than schooling fish. Their diet consists primarily of insect larvae varying in size as the dace grow larger.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON: They are indigenous to Central Oregon
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Largescale Sucker (Catastomus macrocheilus)

• LOCATION: Largescale sucker distribution is limited to the Deschutes River from Steelhead Falls to Lake Billy Chinook.
• SIZE: Maximum length is 24"; weight can be 7 pounds; age can get to 8+ years.
• SPAWNING: They spawn in the spring, usually in deeper sandy areas of streams, but at times on gravel or sand shoals in lakes. Spawning takes place from late April to late June depending on stream temperatures. A female may deposit as many as 20,000 eggs, which are adhesive. Eggs hatch in about 2 weeks and the fry remain in the gravel or on the surface of the sand for the first few weeks. The young are pelagic until they reach about 3-4 inches.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: As they grow, they move toward the bottom and into deeper water. Adults are usually found at depths of only a few feet, but have been taken as deep as 80 feet. Food composition varies with size of individual, time and habitat, but adults feed almost exclusively on bottom invertebrates such as ostracods, amphipods, Trichoptera, Chironomidae, and mollusks. However, they will eat fish eggs, diatoms, algae, and detritus when available. They compete directly with trout species, and probably also prey upon their eggs.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON: They may play a more important role in trout management because of competition for food and their greater biomass.
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Northern Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis)

• LOCATION: These fish can be found in Lake Billy Chinook, Lake Simtustus, and Prineville Reservoir.
• SIZE: Length can be 25"; weight 20 lbs; age can be 15-20 years.
• SPAWNING: Spawning takes place in gravel shallows, in streams or lake shore. Spawning fish tend to gather in large numbers, but no nests are built. The fish broadcast spawn and the adhesive eggs settle in the gravel where they hatch in about one week.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: It is typically a lake species and the young inhabit inshore waters in summer months, moving offshore to deeper water in the fall. They feed on shiners, sticklebacks, terrestrial insects, plankton, aquatic insects, fish, and crustaceans.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON:
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Sculpin Species (Cottidae)

• LOCATION: Sculpins are found in the Deschutes River mainstream and tributaries downstream of Wickiup Reservoir.
• SIZE: Length of 6-7".
• SPAWNING: They spawn in the spring.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: They prefer streams having a boulder, cobble, and flat rock bottoms. They feed primarily on aquatic insect larvae and are often eaten by piscivorous fish species.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON: It is piscivorous and may feed on trout.
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Three-Spine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

• LOCATION: The Stickleback can be found in Crane Prairie Reservoir, Deer Creek, Lava Lakes, Wickiup Reservoir, and portions of upper Deschutes River.
• SIZE: Length 2-4".
• SPAWNING: Breeding takes place throughout the summer months, the male constructing a saucer-shaped nest on the bottom in shallow water. Several females contribute eggs (as many as 600) to one nest.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: They are a popular fish for aquariums and may have been introduced to the Deschutes River by someone in the Sunriver area. They are prey items for trout and largemouth bass.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON: They were introduced into Central Oregon.
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

Tui Chub (Gila bicolor)

• LOCATION: The Tui Chub is found in Crane Prairie Reservoir, Lava Lake (Big), East Lake, Little Lava Lake, Paulina Lake, and Wickiup Reservoir.
• SIZE: Length can be 11"; age of 9 years.
• SPAWNING: They gather in large schools to broadcast spawn in or near heavily vegetated lake shorelines in June and July. The fecundity of mature female tui chub can reach nearly 50,000 eggs. The eggs hatch in about 1 week. The young remain in the vegetated shallows until reaching sexual maturity at age 2-3.
• HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: They feed on amphipods, Diptera larva, gastropods and cladocerans. For the most part, their food preferences mirror those of trout, especially rainbow. Tui chubs are prey for piscivorous rainbow and brown trout, and largemouth bass. Fish-eating birds, mink and otter also utilize them.
• REPRODUCTION:
• IN CENTRAL OREGON: Introduced to this basin from the Klamath basin, probably by angles using them as live bait for large trout.
• REFERENCES: Upper Deschutes River Subbasin Fish Management Plan, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Deschutes Fish District, October 1996.

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