

Chinook or Blue Back Salmon"New Species in Ronan Lake 



In November, 1916. the Fish and Game Commission obtained over a million eyed 

 eggs of the Chinook salmon from Bonneville, Oregon, for hatching in the hatcheries 

 of Montana, one-half of these being sent to each hatchery; the fry obtained 

 being planted in the spring of 1917 in lakes most accessible from the point of 

 hatching. 



In November, 1918, while taking the Eastern Brook trout in Ronan Lake with 

 a net, in order to obtain eggs for hatching purposes, fish strange to the waters 

 were found. Major W. D. Baldwin of the Commission at once pronounced the 

 sample shown him Blueback salmon. As there remained some doubt in the minds 

 of members, owing to the fact that none of this species had ever been planted, 

 samples were sent to Hon. R. E. Clanton, Master Fish Warden of Oregon, for 

 purposes of identification. His reply to the letter of inquiry about the fish caught 

 and submitted is as follows: 



"Bonneville, Oregon, Dec. 3, 1918. 

 "I am in receipt of your letter of November 27th, and, also the box of fish 

 which arrived today. These specimens are no doubt Kingsley's Dwarf salmon, or, 

 in other words, Bluebacks, — and Major Baldwin was right in his classification of 

 same. 



"We have a dwarf salmon in Wallowa Lake, this State, but they are very 

 much smaller in size than the specimens sent. I have not been able to exactly 

 locate Ronan Lake on the map, from which the fish were taken, but it must 

 necessarily be upon a tributary of the Columbia or these fish would not have 

 been found there. 



"As you are perhaps aware the nature of the Columbia River Blueback is to 

 proceed up a stream upon which there is a lake at the head; the parent fish de- 

 posits the spawn in the inlet, and the young fish after hatching drop down in 

 the lake, the most of them remaining until they are about eighteen months old 

 before leaving for the ocean. Therefore, from the fact of remaining in fresh 

 water until they become adults they do not attain the size of their brothers which 

 go to the salt water. Upon reaching a period of four or five years of age they 

 go up the inlets and spawn, afterwards drifting down into the lake to die, as their 

 parents go up from the salt water and die after depositing their spawn. It is 

 my opinion that the progeny from the salmon which remain in the lakes become 

 less from year to year. It seems that for some reason many of these fish remain 

 after staying over the second year period; this perhaps is the reason that the fish 

 in Wallowa Lake are much smaller than those in Ronan Lake. 



Oregon Is Interested. 



"The U. S. Bureau of Fisheries and the State of Oregon have spent considerable 

 money and time in efforts to locate where the Columbia River Bluebacks spawn. 

 We have determined beyond doubt that there are no lakes in Oregon, Idaho and 

 Washington which the parent fish can reach, same having been barred by irriga- 

 tion dams, etc; — and the fact that these fish are found in Ronan Lake, at perhaps 

 one-half the size of the average Columbia River Blueback coming from the ocean, 

 leads me to believe that it is possible that some of these succeeded in reaching the 

 lake. I would be very glad if you will advise me whether or not Blueback or Red 

 Fish of larger size than the specimens sent have been taken from Ronan or any 

 other lake which is tributary to the Columbia. 



"Our fish interests on the Columbia River are very anxious to artificially 

 propagate our Blueback. 



"I would also be glad if you would advise me of the number of fish — similar 

 to the specimen sent me — spawned, and the size of the eggs taken from them. 

 Or, better yet, if it is possible lor you to do so, I should be glad to have you send 

 me a few thousand eggs so that I could hatch them out here. It may be that the 

 eggs from these fish would be as large as the ordinary Blueback, and, if so, we 

 might find a place where a sufficient number of eggs could be taken to justify 

 the experiment. 

 (55) / 



