Freshwater Fish Species
Find species and varieties, by state.
Locate information by clicking the images below. Or, choose a state below to find information about fresh-water fish in that state. The site focuses primarily on freshwater lakes, but also provides some information about ponds, rivers and streams.
Bass
Largemouth bass
These are the most sought after sport fish and can be found in all states except AK and HI.
Smallmouth bass
Native to northern waters but can be found in all state except Alaska and Hawaii.
Spotted bass
Found in 23 states, primarily in the southern and eastern region of the United States.
Shoal bass
Found in Florida and Georgia. Also in some Alabama waters but is catch and release only.
Redeye bass
Native to the Coosa River system redeye are found in FL, GA, NC, SC and TN
Fishing for catfish
Channel catfish
Most popular, and is available in all but five states.
Flathead catfish
Grows to over 100 pounds and exists in two thirds of the states.
Blue catfish
The biggest species of cats in the US and available in more than half the states.
White catfish
Resides in one third of the states in backwaters and muddy ponds.
Crappie
Black crappie
The larger of the two, it is found in all but two states.
White crappie
Also found in all states other than Alaska and Hawaii.
Walleye
Walleye Fishing
This great tasting, white meat fish is found in three fourths of the states.
Panfish
Bluegill
The most popular of all panfish is found in all the United States.
Flier sunfish
Found in less than ten states in the southeast sector of the country.
Green sunfish
Found in over half the states, the green sunfish grows to over 2 lbs.
Hybrid sunfish
Grows to over two pounds and found in more than a dozen states.
Longear sunfish
Found in seven states in the southern/eastern sectors of the US.
Pumpkinseed sunfish
One third of the states harbor these sunfish which prefer coldish waters.
Redbreast sunfish
Less than ten states house this hefty sunfish with very colorful males.
Redear sunfish
One of the larger panfish, the redear is available in about half the states.
Rock bass
Generally under three pounds, rock bass are found in half the states.
Spotted sunfish
Found in less than ten states, they rarely exceed one-half pound.
Tilapia
This plant-eating sunfish is only found in a half-dozen states.
Warmouth
Located in almost half the states, the warmouth grows to over two pounds.
White Bass
The largest of US sunfish, white bass tend to travel in schools.
White perch
Excellent tasting sunfish which grows to over four pounds.
Yellow bass
This schooling fish averages less than one-half pound.
Yellow perch
The second most popular sunfish grows to well over three pounds.
Trout
Rainbow trout
Great tasting and swims in chilly waters in all but a few states.
Cutthroat trout
A favorite in almost twenty states the cutthroat grows to over forty pounds.
Brook trout
The brook is found in cold streams and creeks in nearly forty states.
Brown trout
Found in over forty states this fighter is a favorite of many trout anglers.
Lake trout
The largest of the trouts, lake trout can exceed seventy pounds.
Golden trout
Found in limited western states the golden is the smallest of the trouts.
Steelhead
Steelhead
These sea-run rainbow trout are found in less than ten states.
Salmon
Atlantic salmon
Found in over a dozen states, it grows to around eighty pounds.
Chinook salmon
Less than ten states sport the chinook grows to over 30 pounds.
Chum salmon
Found in AK, OR and WA the chum is aka dog salmon and blue backs.
Coho salmon
This popular salmon grows to around thirty pounds.
Kokanee salmon
These landlocked sockeye salmon seldom reach ten pounds.
Pink salmon
Found in AK and WA the pink salmon grows to over a dozen pounds.
Sockeye salmon
Averaging five to six pounds, the sockeye is found in AK, ID and WA.
Striped bass
Stripers
Landlocked stripers can exceed sixty pounds and reside in forty states.
Hybrid striped bass
A cross between a striped bass and a white bass.
Other species
Alligator gar
Found primarily in southeastern states this gar comes in large sizes.
Bowfin
Great fighter but poor tasting the bowfin prefers warmer waters.
Chain pickerel
Less than ten pounds with nasty teeth, they eat any smaller fish.
Longnose gar
Grows to over twenty pounds and lives in close to half the states.
Muskie
Lives in northern, cooler waters and grows to over sixty pounds.
Northern pike
Native to cold water in the north, they now reside in over forty states.
Paddlefish
Bring heavy tackle as these guys grow to over six hundred pounds.
Sauger
Found in over a dozen mid-western states, they are excellent table fare.
Saugeye
Mix of sauger and walleye are also found in over a dozen states.
Spotted gar
Up to ten pounds, it is found in the Mississippi River drainage system.
Sturgeon
Found in nine states, this prehistoric fish grows to monster size.
Tiger muskie
More than half the states house them and they grow to over fifty pounds.
By clicking on the images and links above, you will be taken to a page offering more information about the selected fish. Find details about the life cycle, plus tips on how to locate and catch them. Each page also provides links to state pages with a list of lakes where each can be found.
Fish species and fishing opportunities by state.
