Regional Status

Washington State is at the southern edge of the native range of pygmy whitefish in North America. Pygmy whitefish are not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, but they have been a State Candidate species in Washington since 1994. Pygmy whitefish are listed as a Priority Species under WDFW Priority Species and Habitat Program (PHS). Population status in other lakes where pygmy whitefish occur in Washington is largely unknown, but habitat in these lakes is generally stable. As with bull trout, pygmy whitefish have been physically isolated from downstream influence by a natural falls barrier downstream of Chester Morse Lake.

Detailed information on the regional status of pygmy whitefish can be found on the WDFW website.