Fish of The Land Between
Backyard Community Science Program
Fish are an important aspect of aquatic ecosystems as they cycle nutrients, act as a food source for wildlife, and also offer recreational value to the economy! Fish are sensitive indicators of water quality, and presence or absence of fish species can tell us about habitat degradation as well as pollution or contamination levels in the water. Finding fish in your lake is an exciting activity for all ages! Below are lists of highlighted species that you can observe in the Land Between each season. This is not a comprehensive list, but will help you identify some common species to get started!
PLEASE NOTE: the Summer, Autumn and Winter pages are currently unavailable because they are under construction.
How to help fish in my lake
The area where the land meets the water is often referred to as the ribbon of life as this ecosystem supports up to 90% of all wildlife, including fish. This fragile region offers habitat, spawning areas, and food for fish. As lakefront homeowners, you can help support fish in your lake by maintaining natural shorelines. Native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants across the entire shoreland (littoral, riparian, and upland zone) play essential roles in life cycles of fish. Aquatic plants offer shelter and food, while plants on land support insects that are a tasty snack for fish! Shorelands should also include natural debris referring to trees, branches and rocks that naturally fall into the water, as this is important habitat and shelter for fish. We know that water quality directly impacts fish as well, therefore we encourage homeowners to minimize manicured lawn space to reduce runoff, resist the use of pesticides/fertilizers and maintain functioning septic systems. Lakefront homeowners and their close proximity to lakes gives them great power to have immense influence on lake health and fish, through both positive and negative actions.
Spring Fish
Spring is an exciting time for all beings in the Land Between! The longer and warmer days means that the snow starts to melt and many species are emerging from their winter strongholds. Search through the gallery of images below and click the picture to find out more information! Take a look to see if you recognize anyone! NOTE: All average length measures are for Ontario populations.
Activity Sheets
Download and print our activity sheets to have some extra fun learning about and searching for fish during your Bioblitz!
Featured Spring Fish species you are likely to see!
Bluegill
Lake Trout
Rock Bass
Brook Stickleback
Lake Whitefish
Walleye
Brown Bullhead
Northern Pike
White Sucker
Johnny Darter
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Perch
Lake Chub
Rainbow Trout
More information about our featured species!
Bluegill
(Lepomis macrochirus )
Body Structure: The Bluegill is a deep-bodied fish that is very thin from side to side (laterally compressed). The mouth is very small, and does not extend to below the middle of the eye. The Bluegill has both spiny and soft portions of its dorsal fin, with no notch between them. The dorsal fin has 10-11 spines (usually 10), and the anal fin has 3 spines.
Size: This species is small in size, averaging 19 cm in length in Ontario and 0.4 pounds in weight.
Colour: The ear flap is entirely black (no pale edge), and the rear end of the dorsal fin features a prominent black blotch. The back and sides are green to brown, with faint dark bars, and the belly is silver to yellow. The spawning male is more brightly colored with an orange belly.
Habitat: The Bluegill lives in shallow, weedy, warm water of lakes and rivers. Spawning takes place in the spring and summer when water temperatures reach 19°C. Nests are created by the male in shallow water, such as shorelines.
Fun Fact: The Bluegill sometimes exhibits unusual spawning behavior, as small males called sneakers may enter a nest and release sperm during the spawning act of a larger male and female. The sneaker doesn’t have to build a nest, defend territory or compete for a female!
Brook Stickleback
(Culaea inconstans)
Body Structure:The Brook Stickleback is a slightly deep bodied fish. Its body tapers to a moderately slender caudal peduncle with a rounded caudal fin. There are no scales on the Brook Stickleback and it features 4-7, usually 5, short isolated dorsal spines. The spines are equal in length and stick straight up.
Size: 5 cm in length on average.
Colour: The back and sides are olive-green with numerous pale spots and wavy lines. The belly is silvery white to light green. During spawning season, the male is dark green to black, occasionally with a copper tint. Females are usually darker as well.
Habitat: The Brook Stickleback is not only found in brooks, despite its common name! It inhabits the shallow edges of clear, cool waters of larger streams, lakes and wetlands. The Brook Stickleback also prefers densely vegetated areas. This species spawns in shallow water from late April to July, typically when the water temperature reaches 19°C.
Fun Fact: When the male Brook Stickleback is guarding his nest during spawning, he performs an aggressive display with erected spines and a quivering body for defense.
Brown Bullhead
(Ameiurus nebulosus)
Body Structure: The Brown Bullhead is a dark, moderate-sized catfish which has 4 pairs of dark barbels, with the base of the chin barbels sometimes being pale in color. Its dorsal fin is placed ahead of the midpoint of its body, and the greatest body depth is at the origin of this fin. The Brown Bullhead lacks scales on its body. The adipose fin is not attached to the caudal fin. The leading edge of the dorsal and pectoral fins each have a spine that can be “locked” in an erect position. The pectoral spine has large serrations on their posterior edges.
Size: 28 cm in length in average
Colour: The Brown Bullhead is yellowish brown, olive or gray to blue-black in color. The sides usually have faint brown blotches with a pale yellow or white belly.
Habitat: The Brown Bullhead lives on the bottom of warm, shallow lakes. This species feeds on or near the bottom of lakes, mainly active at night. It prefers cover such as aquatic plants or fallen trees. They are often seen swimming in large schools to protect themselves against predators, which are best viewed nearshore at night by a flashlight.
Fun Fact: The Brown Bullhead is tolerant of various environmental conditions that may be limiting for other species. This species can tolerate high water temperature (up to 36°C), low oxygen concentration (0.2 ppm in winter), and high levels of pollution.
Johnny Darter
(Etheostoma nigrum)
Body Structure: The Johnny Darter is likely the most common darter in Ontario. This species has a small, elongate and slender body. Its snout is rounded, with the upper jaw extending slightly in front of the lower jaw. They have a spiny and soft dorsal fin that are slightly separated. The spiny dorsal fin may develop a black spot.
Size: The average length of the Johnny Darter is 5 cm.
Colour: The overall body color is pale brown to straw colored, with its belly being white - yellow. There are about 6 dark saddles on its back, with a series along its midline of 7 - 12 dark markings that resemble M-, V-, W-, or X-shaped markings.
Habitat: Johnny Darters are active in the spring to spawn, which is triggered when water temperatures reach 10°C. This species is very tolerant of various environments and can adapt to different habitats, including the bottom of lakes and streams across Ontario. Johnny Darters are noted in various habitats ranging from sand, gravel or silt bottoms and in aquatic plants. They are usually associated with inshore waters with a moderate or non-existent current. Johnny Darters are benthic organisms, meaning they live and feed near the bottom of aquatic environments.
Fun Fact: Male Johnny Darters select a territory for spawning and prepare for the arrival of mates by cleaning a nesting site under a rock while swimming upside down. With both the male and female upside down, the female deposits eggs onto the cleaned rock surface, followed by fertilization by the male. The male may guard up to 1000 eggs laid by various females at his nesting site!
Lake Chub
(Couesius plumbeus)
Body Structure: The Lake Chub is an elongate fish with a continuous groove that separates the upper lip from the snout, and the snout usually overhangs the mouth. This species has a large terminal mouth with a small barbel usually visible at the corners of the mouth. The edge of the dorsal fin is concave, with the caudal fin well forked.
Size: 10 cm in length on average
Colour: The general colouration of the Lake Chub is grayish silver. The back can vary from pale olive to brown to almost black, while its sides are sprinkled with small dark spots. The belly is silvery white. A dark lateral stripe is common in young fish, but usually not in adults, and both sexes may have red coloring.
Habitat: The Lake Chub lives in cold, open waters of larger lakes. This species is active in early spring for spawning as they migrate from lakes to tributary streams.
Fun Fact: The Lake Chub is found in every Canadian province and territory!
Lake Trout
(Salvelinus namaycush)
Body Structure: The Lake Trout is a slightly deep-bodied fish where the adipose fin is present and the casual fin is deeply forked.
Size: Lake Trout average 44.5 cm in length and 2 - 10 pounds in weight.
Colour: The lower fins have light leading edges that are not followed by a dark stripe. The gums inside of the mouth are pale. The back is green, gray, brown or almost black in color while the sides are lighter with a white belly. The head, body, and fins are covered with numerous pale spots, looking like wormlike markings on a dark background
Habitat: Lake Trout are found near surface waters immediately after breakup of ice, and move deeper as the water warms up. In early spring, some are very active before dark as they feed aggressively. Lake Trout occur only in relatively deep lakes, and prefer water temperatures of 10°C.
Fun Fact: All other trout and salmon (except Brook Trout) have dark spots on their body, while Lake Trout have light markings on a dark background!
Lake Whitefish
(Coregonus clupeaformis)
Body Structure: The Lake Whitefish is a deep-bodied fish with a slightly overhanging mouth. The scales are small (70-97 lateral scales), and this species features an adipose fin without rays. The Lake Whitefish has a deeply forked caudal tail. This species features a pelvic axillary process, and does not have a notch in the lower posterior section of the eyelid (transparent membrane over sides of eye).
Size: Averages 38 cm in length and 2 - 4 pounds in weight.
Colour: The back is greenish brown, the sides are silvery and the belly is silvery-white. Nuptial tubercles develop on the sides of spawning individuals, and are larger and more numerous in males.
Habitat: In the spring, the Lake Whitefish may be found in cool, shallow waters. However, this species is generally found in deeper, cold waters of lakes. They are bottom feeders, consuming a wide variety of invertebrates such as scuds, molluscs, aquatic insect larvae and occasionally small fishes.
Fun Fact: Older Lake Whitefish may develop a ‘hump’ behind their head, and are commonly nicknamed ‘humpback’ as they have a small head in comparison to the rest of their body.
Northern Pike
(Esox lucius)
Body Structure: The Northern Pike is easily recognized by its long, broad, flattened snout. There are a total of 10 pores on the underside of the lower jaw, and they has very small scales (105 - 148 lateral scales).
Size: Northern Pike is a large, elongate fish with an average length of 61 cm.
Colour: Their color patterns can vary, but are generally described as light, bean-shaped markings on a dark background. Background color is green-brown and is dark on the back, fading to a creamy white on the belly. The Northern Pike’s dorsal and anal fins are located at the end of its body, near the caudal fin. This species has striking colors of yellow, green orange and red on its tail, dorsal and anal fins with black markings.
Habitat: You’ll often find this species hiding in aquatic plants, as they camouflage and wait motionless to ambush prey that swim by. In the spring, Northern Pike will likely be found in shallow, dark-bottomed bays and river inlets that have deep water nearby. This species also likes south facing sections of lakes in the spring as they are the quickest to warm. Northern Pike are active in early spring to spawn, when the water temperature reaches a frigid 5°C.
Fun Fact: Northern Pike can swim up to 12 - 16 km an hour!
Pumpkinseed
(Lepomis gibbosus )
Body Structure: The Pumpkinseed is a small, very deep-bodied, thin fish. Their backs are humped, and they have a single dorsal fin with no notch between the soft and spiny portions. The Pumpkinseed has a large eye, with a terminal mouth that does not extend to below the middle of the eye.
Size: They average 18 cm in length and 0.4 pounds in weight.
Colour: The back of the Pumpkinseed is golden brown to olive in color with dark spots. The lower sides are golden to silver with a green or blue tint and have irregular, wavy interconnecting blue-green lines. The belly is bronze to orange. A distinctive feature of the Pumpkinseed is the large dark spot with a bright red spot on the edge of its ear flap.
Habitat: The Pumpkinseed prefers cool to warm waters of lakes, and are often seen in large numbers near the surface of the water. This species likes clear water and cover from submerged macrophytes. The Pumpkinseed can be found around various types of lake bottoms. Spawning occurs in shallow water in abundant vegetation during the spring and summer, when the water temperature reaches 13°C.
Fun Fact: The Pumpkinseed got its name from to the shape of its body, resembling the seed of a pumpkin!
Rainbow Trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Body Structure: The Rainbow Trout is an elongated, moderately deep bodied fish with scales that are very small, featuring 100 - 150 lateral scales. Like all Salmonidae species, the adipose fin is present, and Rainbow Trout features a black bordered adipose fin with a moderately forked caudal fin. The anal fin, when pressed against the body, will have a longer tip extending past the anal fin base.
Size: Rainbow Trout have an average length of 53 cm with its weight ranging from 1- 15 pounds.
Colour: The common name ‘Rainbow Trout’ comes from its distinguishable colors. Its back is olive-brown to purple and the sides are paler with a prominent reddish lateral stripe. Rainbow Trout have pink cheeks and numerous black spots on the back and tail. It is important to note that color is variable with habitat, size and reproduction stage.
Habitat: Rainbow Trout are spring spawners, with some individuals moving towards the spawning area while ice is still on the lake. They usually spawn when water temperatures reach 5°C. Overall, Rainbow Trout are found in cold lakes and streams. Rainbow Trout are most successful in habitats that are well-oxygenated with water temperatures of 21°C or cooler.
Fun Fact: Unlike the Chinook, Coho and Pink salmon, Rainbow Trout do not die after spawning and return to their lakes. They may continue to migrate and spawn to rivers for up to five years before dying, if resources are available to do so.
Rock Bass
(Dendroica pinus)
Body Structure: The Rock Bass is a small, deep-bodied fish which is laterally compressed, meaning it is very thin from side to side. It features a large mouth that extends towards the middle of the eye, with a single dorsal fin with a spiny and soft portion (no notch between). The dorsal fin has 10 to 13 spines, and the anal fin has 6 spines.
Size: Average 20 cm in length
Colour: The Rock Bass has bright red to orange eyes. The back and upper sides are brown to olive with golden tint. There are often dark saddles that are very obvious at night. The Rock Bass’ sides have numerous dark spots arranged in rows and a white belly.
Habitat: Rock Bass are often found over rocky bottoms in the cool and shallow waters of lakes. Rock Bass are active during spring spawning when water temperatures reach 15°C. Males often form nests in shallow water, and will guard the nest for up to ten days after the young hatch.
Fun Fact: The Rock Bass has been widely introduced within its range of central Ontario. This species is a healthy contribution to its ecosystem in its native range, but when introduced, it can become extremely abundant and cause the decline of native species including Smallmouth Bass.
Walleye
(Sander vitreus)
Body Structure: Walleye are a large, elongate fish with a large mouth, extending to the back edge of the eye and enlarged canine teeth on the lower jaw. The Walleye has large, silvery eyes that are opaque and light sensitive. This species features two separate dorsal fins - one soft and one spiny.
Size: Walleye average 42 cm in length and 1.5 - 3 pounds in weight.
Colour: Walleye's backs are olive-green to brown, their sides are paler with yellow flecks and they have yellow to white bellies. Some key identification features is the black blotch at the back of the spiny dorsal fin, and a white tip on the lower lobe of the caudal fin.
Habitat: The Walleye is found in a variety of cool water habitats, typically in deeper waters or dense aquatic vegetation during the day (as their eyes are light sensitive). Spawning occurs in the early spring shortly after the ice breaks in a lake at 2°C water temperature. Spawning takes place in rocky shoals or shallow gravel of lakes or streams at night. Walleyes are tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions but are often found in large, shallow, turbid lakes. The Walleye is active for feeding during twilight or dark periods as their eyes are light-sensitive. This species will use sunken trees, boulder shoals, weed beds or thick layers of ice as protection from direct sun.
Fun Fact: The Walleye is named for its opaque, cloudy looking eye which is caused by a reflective layer of pigment called the tapetum lucidum, which helps vision in low light.
White Sucker
(Catostomus commersonii)
Body Structure: The White Sucker is one of the most common and widespread fish species of Ontario! This species’ snout overhangs the mouth, and its body has small scales (53 -85 lateral scales). Its mouth is characterized with thick papillose lips, with the lower lip being twice as thick as the upper lip.
Size: They average 41 cm in length and 1-2 lbs in weight.
Colour: White suckers have a gray, brown or black upper sides and back, with a cream-colored belly and lower sides. The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are often orange. During spawning season, the male has a prominent pale stripe on each side with a dark lateral stripe. Juvenile White Suckers have three prominent black spots on each side.
Habitat: In the spring, White Suckers begin migrating upstream in tributary streams when the water temperatures reach 10°C. This species is tolerant of many habitats across The Land Between, and is never found far from the bottom of lakes and streams. White Suckers are active during the day, but feed around dawn and dusk when they move to shallower water.
Fun Fact: In the spring, male White Suckers develop nuptial tubercles on their head when mating. They look like small, raised bumps on the fish that function to aid males in contact with the female when mating.
Yellow Perch
(Perca flavescens)
Body Structure: The Yellow Perch is a medium sized, deep-bodied fish with a large mouth, extending to below the middle of the eye. The Yellow Perch has 2 dorsal fins, the first being spiny, high and rounded, while the other is soft and about the same height. The caudal peduncle is long and narrow, followed by a shallowly forked caudal tail.
Size: They average 18 cm in length.
Colour: The Yellow Perch has sides which are yellow to green in color and a white belly. Each side features 6 - 8 wide dark bars. It is common to see orange - red pelvic and anal fins on males during spawning season.
Habitat: The Yellow Perch are active throughout winter for feeding, and are therefore a popular ice fishing catch. There are migratory movements in the spring for Yellow Perch in relation to water temperature, spawning and available food. This species begins spawning when the water temperature is above 6°C. They are found in a wide variety of water temperatures and lake habitats, and are considered a shallow water species. They are most abundant in lakes with moderate vegetation with clear water and bottoms of muck, sand or gravel.
Fun Facts: During spawning, the female releases a gelatinous mass of eggs up to 2.4 meters long that is adhesive and folded in accordion-style!
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