Unknown fish species discovered in John Day River
By Logan Bagett on Wednesday, May 7th, 2025 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
JOHN DAY – ODFW John Day District Fish Biologist Stephen Charette was recently in KJDY Studios for an episode of Coffee Time. During the visit, Charette said an unusual fish species has been discovered in the John Day River:
“A couple anglers were fishing for catfish or bass in the lower John Day River arm about a month ago, and they sent me some pictures of an unusual fish species. It was about 10-to-12 inches long, and looked like a silvery goldfish. So, I was like, ‘Well, what is that?’ So, I started reaching out to colleagues and we didn’t know much about them. A search revealed that it could potentially be a Prussian [Carp], or Crucian [Carp] or a goldfish hybrid.”
Charette said his team went out and collected around 100 specimens of these fish a few weeks ago. He noted that DNA testing for the fish collected in the John Day River system came back inconclusive, but similar fish collected in the Snake River were found to be Prussian Carp. Anyone catching a silvery, goldfish-looking specimen in the John Day River is encouraged to contact the John Day ODFW office.
Listen to the full podcast with Charette, all about Grant County fish, by clicking below:
https://omny.fm/shows/coffee-time/may-5-oregon-dept-of-fish-wildlife
