Tiger trout to be tried in Oregon’s Diamond Lake

ROSEBURG, Ore. — Tiger trout will be stocked in southern Oregon’s popular Diamond Lake, in addition to rainbow trout, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife says.

Tiger trout are a sterile cross between brook trout and brown trout and are known to prey on smaller fish.

Diamond Lake has been plagued with tui chub, which reproduce and overwhelm the lake with a stunted population. Efforts have been made to rid Diamond Lake of tui chub, but one was found in a trap net this fall.

“We know what chub are capable of in Diamond Lake and we are working with our partners to get ahead of the curve,’’ said Greg Huchko, Umpqua district biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “We wanted to stock a mix of brown and tiger trout, but only tigers are available this year. We will be looking into sterile brown trout for next year in addition to tiger trout.’’

Many strains of rainbow trout have been stocked in the past, but surveys show the rainbow’s feed primarily on insects.

In the early 2000s, the state also experimented with North Umpqua strain spring chinook, but most migrated out of the lake.

Oregon plans to buy 20,000 three-inch and 5,000 eight-inch tiger trout from a private fish farm in Utah, which will be added to 300,000 rainbow trout fingerlings. Catch-and-release regulations are intended for the tiger trout to keep them in the lake and eating chubs.

In 2006, Oregon spend almost $6 million to treat Diamond Lake with rotenone, killing an estimated 90 million tui chubs to restore water quality and the trout fishery.