Northern Pike May Have Entered Lake Oroville
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SACRAMENTO — The voracious northern pike may have reached Lake Oroville, state officials said Thursday.
The Department of Fish and Game said an angler had reported catching a 29-inch-long pike in the middle fork of the Feather River where it enters the lake. The fisherman ate the fish but later showed officials photos of it.
“Based on photos this angler showed us, the fish is a northern pike,” said department spokesman Mark Lucero.
However, until officials find a live pike in the lake, the fish’s presence can’t be confirmed.
The department stirred up heated local opposition last year when it used poison to eradicate pike in Lake Davis, which is upstream from Lake Oroville.
Department officials worry that pike, which are not native to Northern California, could move downstream and decimate the salmon and striped bass populations.
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