The Native Fish Investigations Project conducts statewide research on Oregon’s non-anadromous native fish. Our mission is to provide scientific information on the status (distribution and abundance), life history, genetics, and habitat needs for Oregon’s native fish populations. This information is intended to aid fish managers and landowners in developing appropriate conservation and recovery strategies, and on-going monitoring plans. Such information will also help ODFW implement fish management goals, subbasin plans, the Native Fish Conservation Policy, and the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. In addition, data and information provided by the Native Fish Investigations Project is necessary to ensure present and future recreation angling opportunities for native game species.

Current and past research activities include studies of life history, genetics and limiting factors of bull trout in Northeast Oregon; status, age & growth, spawning ecology and habitat associations of Oregon Chub in the Willamette Valley; distribution, abundance and habitat associations of Pacific and western brook lamprey on the Oregon Coast; movement and seasonal habitat use of westslope cutthroat trout in the John Day Basin; status, abundance, and movements of Warner suckers; movement of juvenile redband trout in the Upper Klamath River; and status, abundance, and distribution of redband trout in the Great Basin. We are also designing and evaluating potential monitoring strategies for bull trout, interior redband trout, Lahontan cutthroat trout, Borax Lake chub, Foskett speckled dace, Hutton tui chub, sand roller, and Warner sucker.