Clear Lake is without a doubt one of the more interesting lakes in America at more than 2 million years old. Among its treasures are a variety of species of fish, and lately one species has drawn a lot of attention. It’s the hitch, a fish that has been in the lake for thousands of years. The hitch has a special meaning for the Native Americans that live in Lake County.
There have been a number of suggestions in recent years on how to protect the hitch and they all have met with some enthusiasm.
Three years ago hitch were reportedly being seen in large schools back in the bays and around the docks, but were those really hitch or another species of fish? Several species of fish in the lake are often mistaken for hitch such as the blackfish and Sacramento sucker, both of which look like a hitch when swimming. Both species are common throughout the lake.
Hitch spawn by migrating up the tributaries that flow into the lake. At one time thousands of hitch would annually migrate up these streams. In fact, old photos show hitch from shore to shore in Kelsey Creek during their peak spawning runs. Old-time residents said they would throw large rocks at the hitch and hundreds were killed.
The hitch spawn runs from March through June. During spawning activity, four or five males often attend each female. The females exhibit a rusty color on their paired fins during spawning. Their eggs are large and non-adhesive, meaning they don’t stick to the bottom and will drift. Instead they lodge between rocks and gravel. The eggs hatch in about five days. Within a week the young fry migrate back to the lake. The young stay in the shallows for several weeks and then migrate to the deeper water. Hitch can live as long as five years. The big question is will the hitch spawn in the lake if a drought prevents them from migrating up the streams? Several scientists are convinced the hitch will spawn in the lake if they can’t migrate up the streams.
Adobe and Kelsey creeks are the primary creeks where hitch spawn. Middle Creek is also a hitch spawning area as are Manning Creek and Scotts Creek. They are not strong swimmers, which means if the streams hold fast water, large rocks or dams to navigate, the fish might not be able to spawn. Manmade barriers have impeded the hitch in many of the streams.
The Clear Lake hitch are also important to local Indian tribes. Originally they were an important food source for Indians living on the shores of Clear Lake. Many members of local tribes still consider the hitch a traditional food source. In fact, the scientific name for the Clear Lake hitch is Lavinia Exilicauda Chi. Chi is a Pomo name for the fish. Hitch also serve as an important food source for the many shore birds visiting Clear Lake. Birds such as pelicans, osprey, eagles and grebes eat hitch. Mammals such as the otter also utilize hitch as a food source.
Like most species of fish, hitch face a challenge to survive. Most don’t live past four years as they face tremendous odds just to survive. There have been suggestions to rid the lake of bass and other predator fish, but that is not the answer. Getting rid of the bass and catfish would just cause friction between the people who live along the lakeshore. Every species of fish is important to the environment of the lake and everyone has to work together to preserve our fish and wildlife.
