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The northern squawfish, pikeminnow, or Columbia River dace, Ptychocheilus oregonensis, is a large member of the minnow family, Cyprinidae. The American Fisheries Society officially changed the name northern squawfish to pikeminnow. Females reach sexual maturity at about six years, males in three to five. They can live longer than 15 years, reaching over 24 inches and eight pounds. A mature female can lay 30,000 eggs annually. Squawfish are voracious predators, and in the Columbia River and Snake River salmon smolt comprise a large part of their diet. While historically squawfish have not been of interest commercially nor to sport anglers, Washington and Oregon state fisheries agencies and the Bonneville Power Administration have placed a bounty (reward) on them in order to reduce predation on scarce salmon stocks. A sport fishery has developed based on that bounty. Pikeminnow are native to the Columbia River. Their population has flourished with the development of the Columbia River Hydro-power System. The reservoirs have provided excellent habitat for pikeminnows and given them an advantage over depressed salmon and steelhead populations.
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