List of Minnesota fish

The List of Minnesota fish lists fish found naturally in Minnesota waters, including Lake Superior. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota is home to 158 fish species.

The species data on this page is taken from the Minnesota DNR, which also uses several labels to indicate a fish's status within Minnesota waters. An endangered fish species is near extinction in Minnesota, a threatened species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future, and a special concern species is either extremely uncommon in Minnesota or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements.

Several types of Minnesota fish are considered non-native invasive species. A prohibited invasive species is illegal to possess in Minnesota without a permit, and a regulated invasive species is legal to possess but still may not be released into public waters. Many invasive fish species are nonetheless already well-established.

Coldwater sport fish

*Atlantic salmon "Salmo salar"
*Bloater "Coregonus hoyi"
*Brook trout "Salvelinus fontinalis"
*Brown trout "Salmo trutta"
*Cisco "Coregonus artedi" commonly called "tulibee" or "lake herring"
*Chinook salmon "Oncorhynchus tshawytscha"
*Coho salmon "Oncorhynchus kisutch"
*Kiyi "Coregonus kiyi" (special concern)
*Lake trout "Salvelinus namaycush"
*Lake whitefish "Coregonus clupeaformis"
*Nipigon cisco "Coregonus nipigon"
*Pink salmon "Oncorhynchus gorbuscha"
*Pygmy whitefish "Prosopium coulteri"
*Rainbow smelt "Osmerus mordax" (regulated invasive)
*Rainbow trout "Oncorhynchus mykiss"
*Round whitefish "Prosopium cylindraceum"
*Shortjaw cisco "Coregonus zenithicus" (special concern)

Warmwater sport fish

*Black bullhead "Ameiurus melas"
*Black crappie "Pomoxis nigromaculatus"
*Blue catfish "Ictalurus furcatus"
*Bluegill "Lepomis macrochirus"
*Blue sucker "Cycleptus elongatus" (special concern)
*Brown bullhead "Ameiurus nebulosus"
*Burbot "Lota lota" may be referred to as "eelpout," "ling," or "lawyer"
*Channel catfish "Ictalurus punctatus"
*Flathead catfish "Pylodictis olivaris"
*Green sunfish "Lepomis cyanellus"
*Lake sturgeon "Acipenser fulvescens" (special concern)
*Largemouth bass "Micropterus salmoides"
*Longear sunfish "Lepomis megalotis"
*Muskellunge "Esox masquinongy"
*Northern pike "Esox lucius"
*Paddlefish "Polyodon spathula" (threatened)
*Pumpkinseed "Lepomis gibbosus"
*Rock bass "Ambloplites rupestris"
*Sauger "Sander canadense"
*Shovelnose sturgeon "Scaphirhynchus platorynchus"
*Smallmouth bass "Micropterus dolomieu"
*Walleye "Sander vitreus"
*Warmouth "Lepomis gulosus"
*White bass "Morone chrysops"
*White crappie "Pomoxis annularis"
*White perch "Morone americana" (prohibited invasive)
*Yellow bass "Morone mississippiensis" (special concern)
*Yellow bullhead "Ameiurus natalis"
*Yellow perch "Perca flavescens"

Other sport fish

*American eel "Anguilla rostrata"
*Bigmouth buffalo "Ictiobus cyprinellus"
*Black buffalo "Ictiobus niger" (special concern)
*Black redhorse "Moxostoma duquesnei"
*Bowfin "Amia calva" sometimes call "dogfish"
*Common carp "Cyprinus carpio" (regulated invasive)
*Creek chub "Semotilus atromaculatus"
*Freshwater drum "Aplodinotus grunniens" often called "sheepshead"
*Gizzard shad "Dorosoma cepedianum"
*Golden redhorse "Moxostoma erythrurum"
*Goldeye "Hiodon alosoides"
*Goldfish "Carassius auratus" (regulated invasive)
*Greater redhorse "Moxostoma valenciennesi"
*Highfin carpsucker "Carpiodes velifer"
*Longnose gar "Lepisosteus osseus"
*Longnose sucker "Catostomus catostomus"
*Mooneye "Hiodon tergisus"
*Northern hogsucker "Hypentelium nigricans"
*Quillback "Carpiodes cyprinus"
*River carpsucker "Carpiodes carpio"
*River redhorse "Moxostoma carinatum"
*Shorthead redhorse "Moxostoma macrolepidotum"
*Shortnose gar "Lepisosteus platostomus"
*Silver redhorse "Moxostoma anisurum"
*Smallmouth buffalo "Ictiobus bubalus"
*Spotted sucker "Minytrema melanops"
*White sucker "Catostomus commersoni"

Non-game fish

*Alewife "Alosa pseudoharengus" (regulated invasive)
*American brook lamprey "Lampetra appendix"
*Banded darter "Etheostoma zonale"
*Banded killifish "Fundulus diaphanus"
*Bigmouth shiner "Notropis dorsalis"
*Blackchin shiner "Notropis heterodon"
*Blacknose dace "Rhinichthys atratulus"
*Blacknose shiner "Notropis heterolepis"
*Blackside darter "Percina maculata"
*Bluntnose darter "Etheostoma chlorosoma"
*Bluntnose minnow "Pimephales notatus"
*Brassy minnow "Hybognathus hankinsoni"
*Brook silverside "Labidesthes sicculus"
*Brook stickleback "Culaea inconstans"
*Bullhead minnow "Pimephales vigilax"
*Central mudminnow "Umbra limi"
*Central stoneroller "Campostoma anomalum"
*Chestnut lamprey "Ichthyomyzon castaneus"
*Common shiner "Luxilus cornutus"
*Crystal darter "Crystallaria asprella" (special concern)
*Deepwater sculpin "Myoxocephalus thompsoni"
*Emerald shiner "Notropis atherinoides"
*Fantail darter "Etheostoma flabellare"
*Fathead minnow "Pimephales promelas"
*Finescale dace "Phoxinus neogaeus"
*Flathead chub "Platygobio gracilis"
*Fourspine stickleback "Apeltes quadracus"
*Gilt darter "Percina evides" (special concern)
*Golden shiner "Notemigonus crysoleucas"
*Gravel chub "Erimystax x-punctatus" (special concern)
*Hornyhead chub "Nocomis biguttatus"
*Iowa darter "Etheostoma exile"
*Lake chub "Couesius plumbeus"
*Largescale stoneroller "Campostoma oligolepis"
*Johnny darter "Etheostoma nigrum"
*Least darter "Etheostoma microperca" (special concern)
*Logperch "Percina caprodes"
*Longnose dace "Rhinichthys cataractae"
*Mimic shiner "Notropis volucellus"
*Mississippi silvery minnow "Hybognathus nuchalis"
*Mottled sculpin "Cottus bairdi" sometimes called "Muddler Minnow"
*Mud darter "Etheostoma asprigene"
*Ninespine stickleback "Pungitius pungitius"
*Northern brook lamprey "Ichthyomyzon fossor" (special concern)
*Northern redbelly dace "Phoxinus eos"
*Orangespotted sunfish "Lepomis humilis"
*Ozark minnow "Notropis nubilus" (special concern)
*Pallid shiner "Hybopsis amnis" (special concern)
*Pearl dace "Margariscus margarita"
*Pirate perch "Aphredoderus sayanus" (special concern)
*Plains topminnow "Fundulus sciadicus" (special concern)
*Pugnose minnow "Opsopoeodus emiliae" (special concern)
*Pugnose shiner "Notropis anogenus"
*Rainbow darter "Etheostoma caeruleum"
*Red shiner "Cyprinella lutrensis"
*Redfin shiner "Lythrurus umbratilis"
*Redside dace "Clinostomus elongatus"
*River darter "Percina shumardi"
*River shiner "Notropis blennius"
*Rosyface shiner "Notropis rubellus"
*Round goby "Neogobius melanostomus" (prohibited invasive)
*Ruffe "Gymnocephalus cernuus" (prohibited invasive)
*Sand shiner "Notropis stramineus"
*Sea lamprey "Petromyzon marinus" (prohibited invasive)
*Silver chub "Macrhybopsis storeriana" or "Hybopsis storeriana"
*Silver lamprey "Ichthyomyzon unicuspis"
*Skipjack herring "Alosa chrysochloris" (special concern)
*Slender madtom "Noturus exilis" (special concern)
*Slenderhead darter "Percina phoxocephala"
*Slimy sculpin "Cottus cognatus"
*Southern brook lamprey "Ichthyomyzon gagei" (special concern)
*Southern redbelly dace "Phoxinus erythrogaster"
*Speckled chub "Macrhybopsis aestivalis" or "Hybopsis aestivalis"
*Spoonhead sculpin "Cottus ricei"
*Spotfin shiner "Cyprinella spiloptera"
*Spottail shiner "Notropis hudsonius"
*Starhead topminnow "Fundulus dispar"
*Stonecat "Noturus flavus"
*Suckermouth minnow "Phenacobius mirabilis"
*Tadpole madtom "Noturus gyrinus"
*Threespine stickleback "Gasterosteus aculeatus"
*Topeka shiner "Notropis topeka" (special concern)
*Trout-perch "Percopsis omiscomaycus"
*Tubenose goby "Proterorhinus marmoratus"
*Weed shiner "Notropis texanus"
*Western sand darter "Ammocrypta clara"

Invasive species not currently in Minnesota

According to the DNR, these prohibited or regulated invasive fish species threaten Minnesota natural resources but are not currently known to be in Minnesota public waters.

*Bighead carp "Hypophthalmichthys nobilis" (prohibited invasive)
*Black carp "Mylopharyngodon piceus" (prohibited invasive)
*Grass carp "Ctenopharyngodon idella" (prohibited invasive)
*Rudd "Scardinius erythrophthalmus" (prohibited invasive)
*Silver carp "Hypophthalmichthys molitrix" (prohibited invasive)
*Tilapia "Oreochromis", "Sarotherodon", and "Tilapia" spp. (regulated invasive)
*Zander "Stizostedion lucioperca" (prohibited invasive)

ee also

*List of Minnesota rivers
*List of lakes in Minnesota
*List of edible fish
*List of fish families
*List of U.S. state fish
*List of fish common names

References

* [http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/nature_viewing/fishwatch/index.html Minnesota DNR Fish Watch List]
* [http://www.nativefish.org/articles/MNStateParkSpeciesList.php Minnesota State Parks Fish Species List]
* [http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ets/fish.html Minnesota DNR Endangered Fish]
* [http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological_services/invasives/laws.html Minnesota DNR Invasive Species]