Northern Pike

(Runtime 0:54)Right now, an invasive fish species is trapped behind Grand Coulee Dam. If northern pike make it past the two giant cement dams in their way…

Efforts to keep a toothy, invasive fish behind Grand Coulee Dam are paying off.

Bringing salmon back to the Upper Columbia has been a goal since the habitat was blocked by the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams more than eight decades ago. Tribal members held a Ceremony of Tears 80 years ago when the final run of salmon returned.

Three Washington Native tribes are joining two state agencies and two public utility districts in targeting the northern pike. That’s a big species of fish that’s caught for sport in the upper Midwest, but which fisheries biologists say poses huge potential damage to Northwest salmon runs.

They’ve been called devil fish. They’re No. 1 on the hit-list for invasive aquatic life in Washington waters. And they’re creeping farther and farther down the Columbia River system.