Fish Spotted Using $9 Million Fish Ladder

An underwater camera snapped a photo last week of what biologists believe is the first steelhead trout of the year to pass through a fish ladder on the Ventura River.

The first of two fish was spotted swimming upstream on Thursday, through the $9.5 million fish ladder built to allow fish to go around the Robles Diversion, which sends water to Lake Casitas.

Though steelhead and rainbow trout are hard to differentiate, biologists think this was an endangered steelhead that came from the ocean because of its large eye size and its 21-inch length.

"This is exciting news," said Casitas Fisheries Biologist Scott Lewis.

A day later, a 25-inch fish also thought to be a steelhead was seen swimming upstream through the ladder.

After last year’s dry weather, when no fish were seen swimming upstream, officials are hoping many more steelhead will swim up from the ocean and into the upper reaches of the Ventura River.

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