Hagg Lake species

[aw0000001]

Out of curiosity, are there channel catfish at Henry Hagg? I spent my early childhood in a place where they were plentiful and they're my favorite species to catch. I can't seem to find them in the Willamette Zone.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

There are some present in the Willamette at low population densities. I’m not sure the best location for targeting them on the river, but it seems like from what I’ve read they pick up from Salem downriver towards Portland.

Most of the time in local waters you might encounter bullheads but channels are pretty rare.

 

[305to503fishermen]

I have caught a channel cat a few times at Hagg. This came from trolling around for rainbows.

 

[DOKF]

How did channel cats get into Hagg Lake? They are not native species ...

 

[troutdude]

How did channel cats get into Hagg Lake? They are not native species ...

Was just gonna pose that very question. Channel Cats in Hagg???

 

[Shaun Solomon]

I would tentatively suggest that they might have been bullheads.

 

[305to503fishermen]

Maybe i am mistaken, i don't know my catfish that well.

 

[Shaun Solomon]

A deeply forked tail (like Kokanee) is a dead giveaway for channel cat. Bullheads (both brown and yellow) have a slightly rounded, triangular shaped tail.

I guess it wouldn’t surprise me too much if someone caught a channel in Hagg, apparently there is at least one STURGEON in there! Haha

 

[troutdude]

The myth of the Hagg Sturgeon lives on! LOL

I grew up referring to bullheads as cats. It wasn't until I joined this group, almost 12 years ago now, that I learned the difference.

 

[DOKF]

Maybe i am mistaken, i don't know my catfish that well.

I prefer to not get too friendly with them ...

 

[Shaun Solomon]

I’m not sure if you have seen the videos Roger, but there is actual proof of a sturgeon in Hagg, looks to be in the neighborhood of five to six feet. Right up on the dam, with panning shots of the surrounding area, enough to tell where it was shot. Several different people have seen it, and got still shots and at least two videos I have seen. It might be a solo fish, but they live a long time.

And for the purpose of clarity, bullheads ARE cats, just not channel cats. Same family, different species, like smallies and largemouth, for example. You weren’t wrong to call them cats.

 

[Grant22]

I’m not sure if you have seen the videos Roger, but there is actual proof of a sturgeon in Hagg, looks to be in the neighborhood of five to six feet. Right up on the dam, with panning shots of the surrounding area, enough to tell where it was shot. Several different people have seen it, and got still shots and at least two videos I have seen. It might be a solo fish, but they live a long time.

And for the purpose of clarity, bullheads ARE cats, just not channel cats. Same family, different species, like smallies and largemouth, for example. You weren’t wrong to call them cats.

almost looks like a couple from the directions that the fish enter and exit the camera frame just before the 1 minute mark. The fish shows up about 25 seconds into the video. One of the fish appears to be a bit larger as well.

 

[troutdude]

I'm not Roger...but that's certainly a sturgeon, and that's the bank of the dam at Hagg fo' sho' (have fished OFF the bank in front of that parking lot before). Guess I need to switch from 8lb. test mono line, to 80lb braid! LOL

 

[Shaun Solomon]

Roger Roger, what’s your vector, Victor? My bad. I guess Roger is Rogerdoger now that I think about it. :doh:

Looking at the video, that DOES look like two separate fish. I’m thinking a boy and a girl, maybe.

 

[troutdude]

LOL I remember that Vector Victor line!

Yeah I also wondered if we were looking at more than one sturgeon in that clip.

 

[Admin]

I’m thinking a boy and a girl, maybe.

Victor & Victoria

 

[DOKF]

How did channel cats get into Hagg Lake? They are not native species ...

I took the dog for a walk around Commonwealth Lk today, and stopped to read an info sign about fish in the lake. The park sign says that "trout, bass, panfish, and channel catfish" have been stocked in the lake at various times. They show clear pictures of trout, bass, and forked tail catfish.

I'm not sure what to make of it. I've seen trout, bass, sunfish, and carp pulled out of the lake, but it does imply that ODFW has in the past at least stocked channel cats in select lakes. Maybe they did stock some channel cats in Hagg Lake? But, why?

 

[DOKF]

From ODFW ...

"Channel catfish in western Oregon are limited to the Columbia River, lower Willamette River, and a few ponds in the Willamette Valley. They are much more abundant in eastern Oregon, primarily in the Columbia and Snake rivers and their impoundments, Owyhee Reservoir, the Owyhee River, and the John Day River. When given the choice, channel catfish prefer clear lakes and streams, but they can tolerate moderately muddy water if food is abundant. Channel catfish are not particular about what they eat. Included in their diet are fish and frogs, either alive or dead, insects, plant material, crayfish, worms, or snails."

I guess they are the cleanup crew? Assistants to the sturgeon(s)?

 

[Shaun Solomon]

They are like bald eagles, opportunistic carnivores that are very happy to scavenge.

I not infrequently see “educational material” which misidentifies fish, such as this “bluegill” on the ODFW website. If there is any bluegill present in this fish, it has been thoroughly alloyed with green sunfish.

I also find fish species listed in water bodies frequently that I am very suspicious of, such as smallmouth in places that lack them etc.

I think it is generally useful to see what the state agencies have to say about a given body of water, but such information should be taken with a grain of salt. I don’t think sturgeon are listed for Hagg, for example, and they didn’t admit spots were in Grove for years after they were established.

Anywho.

 

[balzacccc]

Most of them are actually brown bullhead catfish(Ameiurus Nebulosus) in Willamette zone. Fork-tail is not a very consistent character for the catfish classification. Got a 15 lbs of them 2 month ago from Longtom river.