Try to identify each fish
Do you know one type of fish from another? Below are 15 fish that live in Indiana's lakes and rivers.
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 trout family.
What am I?
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 bass family and often reach six pounds.
What am I?
I AM A NORTHERN PIKE
Typically green in color with light-colored small oval markings, the northern pike eats other fishes but will also eat bugs, ducks, mice, rats, frogs, snakes, crayfish.
I am a member of the pike family and a voracious eater.
What am I?
I AM A BLACK CRAPPIE
The black crappie has seven to eight dorsal spines, as well as some random blotches on its sides.
I am a sunfish and often considered one of the best tasting freshwater fishes.
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.
I am a popular member of the trout family often found in the Lake Michigan rivers and streams.
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.
As a member of the perch family, I am a tasty fish that is popular with Indiana anglers.
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 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 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 a member of the pacific salmon family.
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 part of the sunfish family and often reach 3-4 pounds.
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 in the pike family and can weigh 10-30 pounds and reach four feet long.
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 am a tasty sunfish that is very common and relatively easy to catch.
What am I?
I AM A BLUE CATFISH
It has a smooth scaleless skin. It have barbels on its 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'm a catfish and an opportunistic predator meaning that I will eat anything that is available.
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 20-40 pounds.
What am I?
I AM A CHINOOK OR KING SALMON
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 popular sport fish that now lives in Lake Michigan.
What am I?
I AM A REDEAR SUNFISH
The redear sunfish has an opercle flap (ear) that is tipped with a red or orange margin.
I have an opercle flap (ear) that is tipped with red or orange margin.
What am I?
Illustrations by Rick Hill, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife. Illustrations of coho salmon, northern pike courtesy of © Tim Knepp/ USFWS. Illustrations of chinook salmon and lake trout by © Virgil Beck, courtesy of Wisconsin DNR.
