Fish
Northern Pikeminnow
Ptychocheilus oregonensis · also called northern pikeminnows, Columbia squawfish
Patrolling a stretch of the Columbia River, a northern pikeminnow, the largest minnow native to North America, hunts young salmon making their way downstream, a predation pressure significant enough that anglers are paid a bounty for every one they catch.
Overview
The northern pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus oregonensis, is the largest minnow species native to North America, found in rivers and lakes across a broad range of the Pacific Northwest, including the Columbia River system. Its considerable size for a minnow, significant predation on threatened young salmon, and status as the target of an active bounty removal program make it one of the more ecologically consequential and actively managed native fish in the region.
A native fish managed as a problem, not a priority
Unlike most native species facing conservation efforts to protect them, the northern pikeminnow is abundant enough, and consequential enough for young salmon, that fisheries agencies actively pay to have it removed rather than preserved.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and abundant across suitable river and lake habitat throughout the Pacific Northwest, actively managed for removal in parts of the Columbia River system.
Northern Pikeminnow: common questions
Why is there a bounty on the northern pikeminnow?
This species preys significantly on juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River system, and because several salmon and steelhead populations there are already threatened, fisheries agencies established an ongoing bounty program paying anglers for each pikeminnow caught, an effort aimed at reducing this predation pressure on struggling young salmon populations.
How big does a northern pikeminnow get?
This species is the largest minnow species native to North America, reaching a considerably greater size than the small, familiar minnows most people typically picture, a size made possible in part by its comparatively long lifespan for a minnow.
Is the northern pikeminnow the same as a pike?
No, despite the similar-sounding name, this species is a true minnow rather than a member of the pike family, though it does share an elongated, streamlined, predatory body shape that superficially resembles a pike, reflecting its active fish-hunting lifestyle rather than any close relation to true pike.
Where does the northern pikeminnow live?
This species is native to rivers and lakes across a broad range of the Pacific Northwest, including the Columbia River system, where it remains abundant enough that active removal efforts, rather than conservation protections, are the primary management focus.