The Lifeline of Hitch Reproduction
Clear Lake hitch are obligate stream spawners — they cannot reproduce in the lake itself. Adults must swim up tributaries each spring, lay their eggs over gravel and cobble in flowing water, and fry must rear briefly in the stream before returning to the lake. Kelsey Creek is the tributary that reliably makes this possible.
Its drainage is large enough to sustain flow well into the spawning window even in moderately dry years. When other tributaries run dry or fail to connect to the lake, Kelsey keeps producing. That's what makes the 2020 concentration so alarming — it revealed the species had been reduced to a single functioning spawning stream.
✓ 2024–2025 Survey Status
Adult hitch confirmed at Kelsey Creek in both CDFW visual surveys. Among the leading active tributaries each season.
📍 Location
Rises in western Mayacamas Mountains · flows through Kelseyville and Big Valley · enters Clear Lake at Clear Lake State Park, south shore.
🔬 Monitoring Infrastructure
USGS streamflow gauge (11449500) · HOBO temperature loggers · CDFW annual visual surveys · LCWPD community science program.
⚠ Groundwater Pressure
Big Valley Basin pumping can rapidly dry the lower creek during spawning season. CA State Water Board issued 2024 monitoring orders for major pumpers.
Kelsey Creek in Every Season
Field photography from Lake County WPD staff — creek mouth, barriers, gauge sites, and seasonal conditions. Click any photo to open full size. Use the download link inside for the original file.
