Native Fish Staff

Bill Bakke, Executive Director

Bill Bakke is a native of Oregon and has spent his life advocating for wild fish. Bakke grew up fly fishing rivers and streams throughout Oregon and Washington. Early on, he noticed a difference between hatchery steelhead and their native counterparts. Bakke soon began studying the science behind that observation - specifically, the damaging effects of hatchery fish on wild populations. He continues that work to this day, more than 30 years after he began it.

  • Whether the topic is fishing regulations, dam removal, salmon farms, hatchery controversies, drought, water quality concerns or endangered species listings - Bill Bakke is the local authority on fish issues, and media often turn to him for answers.

  • Bakke has achieved much in his career. Among the accomplishments and highlights, he has.

  • Worked for agencies such as the Columbia River Fisheries Council and the Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commission

  • Founded several environmental groups aimed at native fish conservation, including Native Fish Society, Oregon Trout and FishCons

  • Written over 100 articles on fish conservation for sporting, scientific and news journals

  • Been featured in numerous books about salmon conservation including A Common Fate by Joseph Cone, Song For The Blue Ocean by Carl Safina, and A River Lost by Blaine Harden

  • Appeared on national and international media including NOVA and the BBC

  • Established Oregon's first wild fish management policy, and its most recent

  • Led petitions to list Snake River chinook, Oregon Coastal coho and Columbia River coho as endangered species

Won many prestigious awards, including:
Communications Award, National Trout Unlimited 1979
Merit Award, Western Division of the American Fisheries Society 1991
Washington Trout, Conservationist of the Year Award 1995
National Federation of Fly Fishers, Lifetime Achievement Award 2004

Bill can be reached at bmbakke@gmail.com

NFS Staff. . .

» Bill Bakke, Executive Director
» Tom Derry, Development Director
» Russell Bassett, River Steward Coordinator

» Mark Sherwood, Admin. and Development Asst.

Board of Directors. . .

»Peter Tronquet (President)
»John Tyler (Vice-President)
»Bill Bakke (Secretary)
»Patrick Furrer
»Lisa Hansen
»Jon Kellog
»Richard Kennon
»Jason Koertge
»Kaitlin Lovell
»Tammy Mackey
»Doug Vaday
»Doug Robertson