For high‐density ohmic discharges in the TEXT tokamak, a distinct ion mode (i.e., density fluctuations propagating in the ion diamagnetic drift direction) is observed in the microturbulence spectra. The magnitude and spectral characteristics of the mode are identified. Onset of the ion feature occurs at plasma densities where a clear saturation is evident in the global energy confinement time. By injecting pellets, a high‐density plasma is created in which the density profile is sharply peaked. Under these conditions the ion feature in the fluctuation spectra is suppressed. Possible connection between this experimentally observed ion mode and the theoretically predicted properties of the ion‐temperature‐gradient‐driven turbulence is explored. Experimental evidence from other devices is also discussed along with a critical evaluation of interpretation issues.