Any ideas on this jaw bone?

T

tkp

Smolt
Anybody able to identify this jaw bone that I found on the upper skagit? Should have added something for scale but it was around 4-5 inches long. Looks like it came from a fish so could only really be a big bull. But do they really have that many sharp teeth? I have never looked too close when I caught one!
 

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tkp said:
Anybody able to identify this jaw bone that I found on the upper skagit? Should have added something for scale but it was around 4-5 inches long. Looks like it came from a fish so could only really be a big bull. But do they really have that many sharp teeth? I have never looked too close when I caught one!
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Maybe the remains of a Skagit spring Chinook. When the flesh rots away, salmon teeth look a lot bigger exposed on the jawbone.
 
Sorry for clarification, this was above Ross lake in BC so I don’t think it could be a salmon. I am pretty sure they don’t make it up past the dams?
 
tkp said:
Sorry for clarification, this was above Ross lake in BC so I don’t think it could be a salmon. I am pretty sure they don’t make it up past the dams?
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Then you're almost certainly looking at a bull. Yes, their teeth can get quite large, especially during the spawn in my experience. Very cool! I couldn't tell you much from that size description, maybe @Smalma could tell us more?
 
I agree the jaw in question is from a bull trout, likely a male. It looks like it could be from one of the larger Ross Lake bulls, say something in the 30-inch class.

One of the oddities of bull trout is that the bull trout below the Skagit Reservoirs can achieve sizes larger than those in Ross. The difference in forage availability .

Curt
 
Wild, thank you all for confirming that. I will be fishing the hole where I found it in the future to see if I run into one of its off spring!
 
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