The Oregon dept. of fish and wildlife will be planting tiger trout in Diamond lake this spring. Previously this lake had been planted fairly heavily with rainbow trout, but the rainbows aren’t up to the task of eating tui chubs. Tui chubs are an invasive species that will quickly ruin an entire ecosystem if they aren’t kept in check. The tui chub is a native to many areas in the Western US, but not native to Diamond lake. The rainbow trout that had previously been planted in an effort to control the chubs seem to prefer eating mainly insects. It is hoped that the tiger trout will take action against the chubs and make them a food source. Tiger trout are a mixture of a brook trout and brown trout. Tiger trout are in fact the perfect species for planting, because they are sterile and there is no risk of them gaining a population in other nearby watersheds.
The ODFW is also planning to plant sterile brown trout in diamond lake as well in an effort to control populations of the invasive chub species. Diamond lake is a great fishery and a major area for tourism in Oregon. There is no doubt that the anglers in the area are excited for the opportunity to catch the tiger trout, along with the native rainbow trout that are common in the lake.
