My Top 10 North American Freshwater Fish Species

Growing up on the East Coast, I've done a LOT of saltwater fishing over the years and genuinely do enjoy it. However, I'm a freshwater fisherman at heart. Whether ponds, lakes, river or streams, these typically wooded and isolated environments contribute to the therapeutic properties that fishing provides. I also appreciate the diversity of fish species that can be found in one given body of freshwater, which offers increased options and possibilities to a single outing. The following species are my favorites, in no particular order; some I've been fortunate to catch, and others are on my bucket list.

1. Largemouth Bass: 

Largemouth bass are keenly sought after by anglers and are noted for the excitement of their fight. The fish will often become airborne in their effort to throw the hook, but many say that their cousin species, the smallmouth bass, can beat them pound for pound.[17] Strong cultural pressure among largemouth bass anglers encourages the practice of catch and release, especially the larger specimens, mainly because larger specimens are usually breeding females that contribute heavily to future sport fishing stocks. Largemouth bass, if handled with care, respond well to catch and release. 

Largemouth Bass. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largemouth_bass (accessed June 23, 2015).

2. Rainbow Trout: 

Rainbow trout are a popular target for fly fishers, and several angling methods are used. The use of lures presented via spinning, casting or trolling techniques is common. Rainbow trout can also be caught on various live and dead natural baits. The International Game Fish Association recognizes the world record for rainbow trout as a fish caught on Saskatchewan'sLake Diefenbaker by Sean Konrad on September 5, 2009. The fish weighed 48 lb (22 kg) and was a genetically modified hatchery escapee.[92]Many anglers consider the rainbow trout the hardest-fighting trout species, as this fish is known for leaping when hooked and putting up a powerful struggle.[93] It is considered one of the top five sport fish in North America and the most important game fish west of the Rocky Mountains.[25]

Rainbow Trout. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_trout (accessed June 23, 2015).

3, Northern Pike:

Pike are aggressive if not given enough space because they are territorial.[10] They use a form of foraging known as sit-and-wait. Unlike species such as perch, pike undergo bursts of energy instead of actively chasing down prey. As such, a fair amount of inactive time occurs until they find prey. Hunting efficiency decreases with competition;[10] the larger the pike, the larger the area controlled by that particular pike. An inverse relation to vegetation density and pike size exists, which is due to the possibility of cannibalism from the largest pike.[11] This makes sense, as the smaller pike need more vegetation to avoid being eaten. Large pike do not have this worry and can afford the luxury of a large line of sight. They prefer a tree structure habitat.[11]

Northern Pike. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_pike (accessed June 23, 2015).

4. Brown Trout:

The first introductions into the U.S. started in 1883 when Fred Mather, a New York pisciculturist and angler, under the authority of the U.S. Fish Commissioner, Spencer Baird, obtained brown trout eggs from a Baron Lucius von Behr, president of the German Fishing Society. The von Behr brown trout came from both mountain streams and large lakes in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg.[6]The original shipment of "von Behr" brown trout eggs were handled by three hatcheries, one on Long Island, the Cold Spring Hatchery operated by Mather, one in Caledonia, New York operated by pisciculturalist Seth Green, and other hatchery in Northville, Michigan.

Brown Trout. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_trout (accessed June 23, 2015).

 5. Walleye:

Since walleyes have excellent visual acuity under low illumination levels, they tend to feed more extensively at dawn and dusk, on cloudy or overcast days and under choppy conditions when light penetration into the water column is disrupted. Although anglers interpret this as light avoidance, it is merely an expression of the walleye's competitive advantage over its prey under those conditions. Similarly, in darkly stained or turbid waters, walleye tend to feed throughout the day. In the spring and fall walleye are located near the shallower areas due to the spawning grounds; and they are most often located in shallower areas during higher winds due to the murkier, higher oxygenated water at around six feet deep.[6] On calm spring days the walleye are more often located at the deep side of the shoreline drop-off and around shore slopes around or deeper than ten feet.[7]

Walleye. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walleye (accessed June 23, 2015).

6. Muskellunge: 

Anglers seek large muskies as trophies or for sport. The fish attain impressive swimming speeds, but are not particularly maneuverable. The highest-speed runs are usually fairly short, but they can be quite intense. The muskie can also do headshaking in an attempt to rid itself of a hook. Muskies are known for their strength and for their tendency to leap from the water in stunning acrobatic displays. A challenging fish to catch, the muskie has been called "the fish of ten thousand casts". Anglers tend to use smaller lures in spring or during cold-front conditions and larger lures in fall or the heat of summer.

Muskellunge. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskellunge (accessed June 23, 2015).

7. Peacock Bass:

Sport fishermen have made these cichlids prized game fish for their fighting qualities, so much so that many travel agencies now arrange fishing trips to Brazil and Florida specifically to catch peacock bass. 

Renowned American peacock bass fisherman and fishing author, Larry Larsen, refers to them as "freshwater bullies" due to their ferocious nature when hunting and their tendency to damage and sometimes destroy fishing gear when striking.  

The most common techniques for catching these cichlids are similar to those for catching largemouth bass, with the notable exception that peacock bass usually will not strike artificial worms, a widely used lure among largemouth bass fisherman. In addition, fly fishing techniques, including lures such as poppers and large streamers, are becoming increasingly popular for catching them.

Peacock Bass. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock_bass (accessed June 23, 2015).

 8. Steelhead Trout:

Steelhead trout can reach up to 55 pounds (25 kg) in weight and 45 inches (120 cm) in length, though average size is much smaller. They are usually dark-olive in color, shading to silvery-white on the underside with a heavily speckled body and a pink to red stripe running along their sides. They are a unique species; individuals develop differently depending on their environment. While all O. mykiss hatch in gravel-bottomed, fast-flowing, well-oxygenated rivers and streams, some stay in fresh water all their lives. These fish are called rainbow trout. The steelhead that migrate to the ocean develop a slimmer profile, become more silvery in color, and typically grow much larger than the rainbow trout that remain in fresh water. Adults migrate from a marine environment into the freshwater streams and rivers of their birth in order to mate (called anadromy). Unlike other Pacific salmonids, they can spawn more than one time (called iteroparity). Migrations can be hundreds of miles. Young animals feed primarily on zooplankton. Adults feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish eggs, minnows, and other small fishes (including other trout).

Steelhead Trout. January 15, 2015. http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/steelhead-trout.html (accessed June 23, 2015).

9. Alligator Gar:

The long time public perception of alligator gars as "trash fish", or a "nuisance species" has changed with increasing national and international attention on the species as a sport fish which some have attributed to features on popular television shows. Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana allow regulated sport fishing of alligator gars. Texas has one of the best remaining fisheries for alligator gars, and in concert with its efforts to maintain a viable fishery, imposed a one-per-day bag limit on them in 2009.[25] The Texas state record, and world record for the largest alligator gar caught on rod and reel is 279 lb (127 kg), taken by Bill Valverde on January 1, 1951 on the Rio Grande in Texas.[26]

Alligator Gar. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_gar (accessed june 23, 2015).

10. Tiger Trout:

The tiger trout (Salmo trutta X Salvelinus fontinalis) is a sterile, intergeneric hybrid of the brown trout (Salmo trutta) and the brook trout(Salvelinus fontinalis). The name derives from the pronounced vermiculations, evoking the stripes of a tiger. It is a rare phenomenon in the wild, with the brook trout having 84 chromosomes and the brown trout 80.[1][2] Records show instances as far back as 1944.[3] The cross itself is unusual in that the parents are members of different genera. 

Tiger Trout. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_trout (accessed June 23, 2015).

I find great beauty in all the animals listed above, among their similarities and many uniquenesses. North America is a vast, diverse, and magnificent place for freshwater fishing. Throughout any season of the year, you'll find exciting opportunities to revisit your favorite spots to catch the one that got away, or venture out into new territory in search of an encounter with various different species. You never know what you may discover on the other end of the line...