Fish and Wildlife

Fish

Lake Whatcom supports a variety of fish including native and introduced, cold and warm water species. Some fish species that can be found in Lake Whatcom include:

•  Salmonids:

  • Kokanee (Native) (Oncorhyncus nerka)

  • Cutthroat trout (Native) (Oncorhyncus clarkia)

• Other:

  • Longnose sucker (Native) (Catostomus catostomus)

  • Peamouth chub (Native) (Mylocheilus caurinus)

  • Largemouth bass (Illegally introduced) (Micropterus salmoides)

  • Brown bullhead (Illegally introduced) (Ictalurus nebulosis)

Wildlife

Lake Whatcom supports a large variety of wildlife species but many of these are considered to be "species of interest" because there is concern over the future of their populations in the area due to habitat loss.  Several of the species that have been recorded in and around Lake Whatcom are included below. 

• Amphibians (10 species)

  • northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile)

  • pacific giant salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus)

  • Oregon Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzi oregonensis)

  • western redback salamander (Plethodon vehiculum)

  • roughskin newt (Taricha granulosa)

  • western toad (Bufo boreas)

  • pacific tree frog (Hyla regilla)

  • tailed frog (Ascaphus truei)

  • red-legged frog (Rana aurora)

  • bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

• Reptiles (2 species)

  • northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides)

  • common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

• Birds (125 species)

  • common loon (Gavia immer)

  • pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

  • eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

  • western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)

  • double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

  • great blue heron (Ardea herodias)

  • green-backed heron (Butorides striatus)

  • Canada goose (Branta canadensis)

  • wood duck (Aix sponsa)

  • green-winged teal (Anas crecca)

  • mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

  • northern pintail (Anas acuta)

  • gadwall (Anas strepera)

  • American wigeon (Anas americana)

  • ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris)

  • lesser scaup (Aythya affinis)

  • common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

  • bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

  • hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

  • common merganser (Mergus merganser)

  • turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)

  • osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

  • bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

  • northern harrier (Circus cyaneus)

  • sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus)

  • Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

  • northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)

  • red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

  • golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 

  • American kestrel (Falco sparverius)

  • merlin (Falco columbarius) 

  • peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

  • gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)

  • blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus)

  • ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus)

  • Virginia rail (Rallus limicola)

  • sora rail (Porzana carolina)

  • American coot (Fulica americana)

  • killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

  • spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularia)

  • common snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

  • ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)

  • glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens)

  • rock dove (Columba livia)

  • band-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata)

  • mourning dove (Senaida macroura)

  • common barn owl (Tyto alba)

  • western screech owl (Otis kennicottii)

  • great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)

  • snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca)

  • northern pygmy owl (Glaucidium gnoma)

  • barred owl (Strix varia)

  • long-eared owl (Asio otus)

  • northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus)

  • common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)

  • black swift (Cypseloides niger)

  • Vaux’s swift (Chaetura vauxi) 

  • rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

  • belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

  • red-breasted sapsucker (Sphrapicus ruber)

  • downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

  • hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

  • northern flicker (Colaptes auratus)

  • pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

  • olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus borealis)

  • western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus)

  • Pacific slope flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)

  • tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

  • purple martin (Progne subis)

  • violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)

  • northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

  • barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

  • gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis)

  • Stellar’s jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

  • American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

  • common raven (Corvus corax)

  • black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus)

  • chestnut-backed chickadee (Parus rufescens)

  • bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)

  • red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

  • brown creeper (Certhia americana)

  • Bewick’s wren (Thryomanes bewickii)

  • house wren (Troglodytes aedon)

  • winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

  • marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris)

  • American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)

  • golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa)

  • ruby-crowned kinglet (Regulus calendula)

  • Townsend’s solitaire (Myadestes townsendi)

  • Swainson’s thrush (Catharus ustulatus)

  • American robin (Turdus migratorius)

  • varied thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

  • cedar waxwing (Bombycillia cedrorum)

  • northern shrike (Lanius excubitor)

  • European starling (Sturnus vulgarus)

  • solitary vireo (Vireo solitarius)

  • Hutton’s vireo (Vireo huttoni)

  • warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus)

  • orange-crowned warbler (Vermivora celata)

  • Nashville warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla)

  • yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia)

  • yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata)

  • black-throated gray warbler (Dendroica nigrescens)

  • Townsend’s warbler (Dendroica townsendi)

  • MacGillivray’s warbler (Oporornis tolmiei)

  • common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

  • Wilson’s warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)

  • western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

  • black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

  • spotted towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

  • chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina)

  • fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

  • song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

  • golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

  • white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

  • dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)

  • red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

  • Brewer’s blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)

  • brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)

  • purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus)

  • house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)

  • red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)

  • pine siskin (Carduelis pinus)

  • American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

• Mammals (49 species)

  • Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

  • Pacific water shrew (Sorex bendirii)

  • water shrew (Sorex palustris)

  • vagrant shrew (Sorex vagrans)

  • Trowbridge’s shrew (Sorex trowbridgii)

  • shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbsi)

  • Pacific mole (Scapanus orarius)

  • Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii)

  • big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

  • silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)

  • hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus)

  • California myotis (Myotis californicus)

  • Long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) 

  • little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus)

  • long-legged myotis (Myotis volans)

  • Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)

  • Townsend’s big-eared bat (Plecotus townsendii)

  • coyote (Canis latrans)

  • red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

  • black bear (Ursus americanus)

  • raccoon (Procyon lotor)

  • river otter (Lutra canadensis)

  • striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

  • ermine (Mustela erminea)

  • long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata)

  • mink (Mustela vison)

  • spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius)

  • mountain lion (Felis concolor)

  • bobcat (Lynx rufus)

  • black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus)

  • mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa)

  • northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)

  • Townsend’s chipmunk (Tamias townsendii)

  • Douglas’ squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii)

  • beaver (Castor canadensis)

  • bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea)

  • deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

  • southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi)

  • long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus)

  • Oregon vole (Microtus oregoni)

  • Townsend’s vole (Microtus townsendii)

  • muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

  • house mouse (Mus musculus)

  • Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)

  • Pacific jumping mouse (Zapus trinotatus)

  • porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

  • pika (Ochotona princeps)

  • snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus)

  • eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)