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CDFW monitoring shows mixed Clear Lake hitch counts; carp and goldfish removals expand
Summary
California Department of Fish and Wildlife field staff described three survey methods used to track Clear Lake hitch, said counts have fluctuated year-to-year, and reported that carp and goldfish removal efforts are expanding to reduce predation and support in-lake spawning.
Ben Ewing, a CDFW biologist, reviewed CDFW’s three monitoring programs for Clear Lake hitch: weekly visual surveys at 21 fixed sites across seven tributaries, a mark–recapture relative population estimate performed at four in-lake sites, and a general fish survey at 18 randomly selected lake locations. He said the department has run the visual surveys since 2014 and the in-lake mark–recapture sampling since 2019.
Ewing said field crews began the season the day of the meeting and “we almost collected almost 100 hitched today,” a single-day count he said was a promising sign but not definitive for the entire season. He reported last year’s mark–recapture work produced nearly 1,000 hitch collected during nine weeks of sampling (one week was missed because a large bass tournament conflicted with work).
Ewing discussed contrasting recent years: the 2015 drought year showed continuous losing-stream conditions on Kelsey Creek but still measurable flow into late spring; 2022 was a much drier year in which a downstream stretch of Kelsey Creek had effectively no flow except during storms, reducing spawning opportunities. He said monitoring suggests some hitch may spawn in the lake in years when tributary conditions differ.
On management actions, Ewing described CDFW and partner efforts to reduce common carp and goldfish that prey on hitch eggs and larvae. He said agencies and tribes — notably Robinson/Big Valley partners — have removed carp and goldfish from certain ponds and wetlands and that some of the fish have been used as fertilizer on tribal lands. CDFW staff requested help locating potential community outlets (for example, bait or fertilizer users) and said partners are exploring carp removal as an ongoing project.
Ending: CDFW will continue the three surveys through the season, work with tribes and partners on carp and goldfish reductions, and accept reports of problem sites where fish are stranded or where heavy vegetation and debris block spawning corridors.
