Protecting the
Clear Lake Hitch
for Future Generations
The Clear Lake Hitch is a culturally significant minnow found nowhere else on Earth. We monitor, protect, and advocate for this remarkable fish — and the lake ecosystem it calls home.
Clear Lake Hitch
Lavinia exilicauda chi
Endemic · Up to 350mm · Lives ~6 years
California's Rarest Minnow
The Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) is a subspecies of minnow found only in Clear Lake, Lake County, California. It is one of the most ecologically and culturally significant fish in the state — and it's disappearing.
Each spring, adult Hitch migrate from the lake into its tributaries to spawn, a spectacle that has sustained the Indigenous Pomo Tribes as a food and cultural resource since time immemorial. Tribal communities have long held deep spiritual and practical connections to this fish.
Today, the Clear Lake Hitch faces mounting threats: prolonged drought, loss of spawning habitat, harmful algal blooms from Microcystis aeruginosa, competition and predation from invasive species, and reduced water flows in tributaries. In February 2023, Lake County declared a local state of emergency due to the risk of extinction.
As of January 2025, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed listing the Clear Lake Hitch as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
Biology
Lives up to 6 years · Grows to ~350mm · Spawns each spring in lake tributaries · Feeds on algae, zooplankton, and insects
Cultural Significance
A vital subsistence resource for Pomo Tribes for thousands of years. Spring spawning runs were historically massive events tied to ceremony, community, and food security.
CA Endangered Species Act — Listed Threatened (2014)
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has protected the CLH as threatened since 2014, restricting take and mandating conservation efforts.
Federal ESA Listing Proposed — January 2025
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed listing the CLH as threatened under federal law — a critical step toward broader habitat and population protection.
Lake County Watershed Protection District
Conducts annual spawner surveys, community science programs, and collaborates with Tribes, state and federal agencies on habitat restoration and population research.
Interactive Tributary Map
Click any tributary creek to explore spawner survey data, population trends, and habitat conditions. Updated seasonally during spring spawning runs.
Interactive Map Coming Soon
The Clear Lake tributary map with clickable spawner survey data will be embedded here. Each creek will show historical count data, habitat notes, and survey methodology.
Sign up to be notified at launchFishes of Clear Lake
All 36 documented fish species of Clear Lake — native, introduced, and those lost. Click any card for detailed information.
Threats to the Clear Lake Ecosystem
Clear Lake faces a convergence of environmental pressures that threaten native species and ecosystem balance.
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Clear Lake frequently experiences blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa, a cyanobacteria that produces toxins harmful to fish, wildlife, pets, and humans. Blooms reduce oxygen levels, block sunlight, and devastate aquatic food webs — directly impacting juvenile Hitch survival.
Invasive Species
Non-native species like Common Carp, Goldfish, Largemouth Bass, and others compete with and predate on native fish. Carp disturb bottom sediments, increasing turbidity and reducing water quality. Bass and sunfish prey heavily on juvenile native fish.
Drought & Habitat Loss
Persistent drought has reduced flows in spawning tributaries, leaving Hitch stranded or preventing upstream migration entirely. Riparian vegetation loss and channel degradation further reduce viable spawning habitat each year.
Water Quality & Warming
Rising water temperatures, elevated nutrient loads from agricultural runoff, and legacy contamination from historic mercury mining around the lake combine to stress fish populations and accelerate algal bloom frequency and intensity.
Watershed Development
Land use changes within the Clear Lake watershed increase runoff, sedimentation, and nutrient input to the lake. Road crossings and diversions in tributary streams act as barriers to Hitch spawning migration.
What We're Doing
The Lake County Watershed Protection District conducts annual spawner surveys, riparian assessments, and collaborative restoration projects. Community scientists report sightings in real time, building a critical population dataset year over year.
Help Protect the Hitch
Whether you're a scientist, angler, student, or just a curious resident — there's a way for you to contribute to Clear Lake Hitch conservation.
Become a Community Scientist
Report Clear Lake Hitch sightings, especially during the spring spawning season. Your observations directly support population trend analysis.
Volunteer hereGet a Free Hitch Sticker
Pick up your free Clear Lake Hitch sticker at the Lake County Water Resources front office in Lakeport. Spread awareness!
Find us at 255 N. Forbes St., Room 309Report Stranded Hitch
If you spot Hitch stranded in a dry or disconnected tributary, call immediately — quick action can save them.
Call (707) 263-2344Support Habitat Restoration
Connect with local efforts to restore riparian habitat along Clear Lake tributaries, remove barriers to migration, and improve water quality.
Learn about restoration projects