Do you know that fish?
Do you know one type of fish in Indiana from another? Below are 10 different species of fish that live in Indiana's lakes and rivers. All of these fish are sportfish meaning that anglers and fisherman fish for them. Can you identify one type of fish from another?
WHAT AM I?
(Click on the fish to find out what it is.)
I am a member of the trout family.
What am I?
I AM A LAKE TROUT
The lake trout has a white mouth, teeth and gums, a caudal fin that is
deeply forked and a body color that is light to dark gray with light spots.
I am a member of the bass family and often reach six pounds.
I AM A LARGEMOUTH BASS
On the largemouth bass, the upper jaw extends
beyond back of eye, unlike the smallmouth bass.
I am a member of the pike family and a voracious eater.
Typically green in color with light-colored small oval markings, the northern pike
I am a sunfish and often considered one of the best tasting freshwater fishes.
I AM A BLACK CRAPPIE
The black crappie has seven to eight dorsal
spines, as well as some random blotches on it's sides.
I am a popular member of the trout family often found
in the Lake Michigan tributaries (rivers and streams)
What am I?
I AM A RAINBOW OR STEELHEAD TROUT
Rainbow or steelhead trout have a white mouth, teeth and gums
and small black spots on their backs, sides, and caudal and dorsal fins. The caudal
fin margin of the rainbow or steelhead trout is square and the fish has 9-12 anal fin rays.
As a member of the perch family, I am a
tasty fish that is popular with Indiana anglers.
What am I?
I AM A WALLEYE
The walleye has no spots on its dorsal fin and a
dusky spot at the rear of its spiny dorsal fin, lower tip of tail and anal fin are white.
I have barbels resembling cat whiskers on my face that I use
to taste, feel and locate food in dark and turbid water.
What am I?
I AM A CHANNEL CATFISH
The channel catfish has a smooth scaleless skin and barbels
on its face resembling cat whiskers. This fish has 24-29 rays in its rounded anal fin.
The caudal fin is deeply forked and the fish has dark spots on its sides when young.
I am a member of the pacific salmon family.
What am I?
I AM A COHO SALMON
The teeth of the coho salmon are set in light color gums. The coho salmon
has black spots on the upper lobe of a slightly forked caudal fin with 12-15 anal fin rays.
I am part of the sunfish family and often reach 3-4 pounds.
What am I?
I AM A SMALLMOUTH BASS
The smallmouth bass has rays on the end of the
dorsal fin that are separated from the rest of the fin.
The upper jaw does not extend beyond the back of eye.
I am in the pike family and can weigh 10-30 pounds and reach four feet long.
What am I?
I AM A MUSKELLUNGE (MUSKIE)
The muskie has three distinct color patterns, including green to silver
"clear" sides, dark spots or dark vertical bars, six or more sensory
pores on each side and scales covering only the top half of both cheeks.
I am a tasty sunfish that is very common and relatively easy to catch.
What am I?
I AM A BLUEGILL
The bluegill has five to nine vertical bars on its sides, a black
opercle flat (ear) with no margin and a dark spot on the rear of its dorsal fin.
I'm a catfish and an opportunistic predator meaning that I will eat anything that is available.
What am I?
I AM A BLUE CATFISH
It has a smooth scaleless skin. It have barbels on it's face resembling cat whiskers and uses them
to taste, feel and locate food in dark and turbid water. It has 30-35 anal fin rays, its
anal fin margin is straight and the caudal fin is deeply forked.
I am another member of the trout family with orange or red spots on my sides.
What am I?
I AM A BROWN TROUT
The brown trout has a white mouth, teeth and gums. It also has some spots with light blue
and a caudal fin margin that is square with no spots on the upper or lower lobe.
I am found in Lake Michigan and often weigh 30 lbs. But, I can reach 100 lbs.
What am I?
Chinook or King salmon have teeth set in dark gums, with black spots on the back and both lobes of the square caudal fin. The chinook or king salmon has 15-17 anal fin rays.
I am a sunfish and resemble the bluegill, except for my colors and larger size.
What am I?
The redear sunfish has an opercle flap (ear) that is tipped with a red or orange margin.
Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, redear sunfish, black crappie, brown trout, rainbow trout, walleye, channel catfish, blue catfish and bluegill images are provided courtesy of Duane Raver/USFWS.
Muskellunge image is provided courtesy of Rick Hill, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Chinook/King Salmon and Lake Trout images are provided courtesy of Virgil Beck/Wisconsin DNR.
Coho Salmon and northern pike images are provided courtesy of Tim Knepp/USFWS.
