Clear Lake is known for its outstanding bass fishing and even the crappie and catfish gain attention from the anglers, however, there are several species of fish that have been swimming in the lake for thousands of years and most fishermen have never seen them. One is the blackfish.
The blackfish is actually known as the Sacramento blackfish and dates back to long before humans walked the shoreline or boated on the lake. They are native to Clear Lake and the Sacramento and San Joaquin drainages. They also were introduced into other waters in the state. This species of fish is popular with some people because of its superior eating qualities. In fact, for years the blackfish was commercially harvested on the lake and shipped live to the Asian restaurants in the Bay Area, where they sold for as much as $4 a pound.
The blackfish is a member of the minnow family and is a plankton eater. Its diet consists of planktonic algae and zooplankton. They also eat small insects, all of which are in ample supply at Clear Lake. They use their gill-rakers as a filter and trap food in the roof of their mouth. They can grow to a length of 2 feet and weigh up to 5 pounds. Blackfish spawn in the shallows and an adult female can deposit up to 300,000 eggs although only a very small portion will successfully hatch. The eggs have an adhesive, which allows them to attach to tules and other aquatic weeds.
A blackfish spends most of its life in the deeper water of the lake. That”s why so few fishermen have seen them. Commercial fishermen have harvested blackfish for years on Clear Lake. The fishermen used large nets, which they drag behind their boats. The commercial fishermen stopped fishing on the lake about five years ago although the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) still issues permits to harvest the fish.
Recreational fishermen rarely catch a blackfish because they won”t strike at a lure. About the only way the fish is caught is when it accidentally snags itself on a crankbait or other lure.
The blackfish do serve a useful purpose on the lake. The young provide a food source for bass and other fish. They are also an important part of the history of the lake.
In addition to blackfish there are a number of fish species in Clear Lake that are native and have survived here for thousands of years. One of the most popular is the Clear Lake hitch, which is found nowhere else in the world. The blackfish is often mistaken for a hitch, which were once an important food source for the Native Americans who lived on the shores of Clear Lake.
The Sacramento perch is the only native member of the sunfish family west of the Mississippi River. At one time Clear Lake had a large population of Sacramento perch but the population has declined in the last 25 years ? although the occasional Sacramento perch is caught by a fisherman.
One native fish that is seldom seen but is an important part of the ecosystem of Clear Lake is the prickly sculpin. This little fish is an important food source for bass and other large game fish. What is unusual about the sculpin is that it buries itself in the mud on the bottom. When the lake water is clear you can often see the small holes and if you watch closely you will see the head of the sculpin emerging from the hole. Recently I was using my underwater camera and I observed a sculpin swim out of a hole and then quickly turn around and re-enter the same hole. Largemouth bass often dig out the sculpin and feed on them.
With the exception of the Sacramento perch there are no other native game fish at Clear Lake. All the current game fish were introduced years ago. However, I enjoy seeing a native fish such as a blackfish, sculpin or hitch as much as a trophy bass and we must protect these native fish because once they are gone the lake will never be the same.
