Great Lakes Fish Species — Complete Reference Guide

Compiled by Chris Izworski · Bay City, Michigan · Updated March 2026

The Great Lakes system — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — supports approximately 139 fish species including native species, stocked sport fish, naturalized invaders, and established invasive species. This table covers all major species with status, family classification, lake distribution, and ecological notes. Data drawn from USGS Great Lakes Science Center, Michigan DNR, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

~139Total Fish Species

43Native Species

13Invasive Species

5Stocked Sport Fish

$7B+Annual Fishing Economy

Status: Lake: Search:

Common Name ↕	Status ↕	Family ↕	Lakes	Notes
Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Apex predator; near-eliminated by sea lamprey, recovering through stocking and lamprey control.
Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Native to cold tributaries throughout the basin; stream populations decline with warming.
Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Commercially important; spawns on rocky shoals in fall. Key commercial species in all five lakes.
Cisco (Lake Herring) Coregonus artedi	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Once extremely abundant; collapsed from overfishing and alewife competition. Recovering in some areas.
Bloater Coregonus hoyi	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario	Deep-water coregonid; found primarily in cold, deep water below the thermocline.
Kiyi Coregonus kiyi	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario	Deepwater coregonid; range contracted; largely restricted to Lake Superior now.
Shortjaw Cisco Coregonus zenithicus	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Huron	Threatened species; highly restricted range in deep water.
Longjaw Cisco Coregonus alpenae	native	Salmonidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Possibly extinct; last confirmed specimens in the 1960s.
Deepwater Cisco Coregonus johannae	native	Salmonidae	Michigan, Huron	Extinct; last recorded 1952. Extirpated by the alewife invasion.
Lake Nipigon Cisco Coregonus nipigon	native	Salmonidae	Superior	Restricted to Lake Superior and associated waters.
Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax	naturalized	Osmeridae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Introduced via bait bucket ~1912; spread through entire system. Spawns in tributaries in spring.
Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha	stocked	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario	Introduced from Pacific Coast in 1966. Major sport fishery. Some wild reproduction in tributaries.
Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch	stocked	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Pacific salmon introduced 1966. Annual stocking maintains populations. Fall river runs.
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) Oncorhynchus mykiss	stocked	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Pacific Coast origin. Some self-sustaining tributaries. Prized for fighting. Spring runs famous.
Brown Trout Salmo trutta	stocked	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	European origin; introduced 1883 in Michigan. Self-sustaining in many streams; fall spawning runs.
Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar	stocked	Salmonidae	Ontario, Superior, Michigan	Native to Lake Ontario prior to dam construction; restoration stocking ongoing.
Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha	naturalized	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Accidentally established in Lake Superior in 1956; spread through all five lakes.
Walleye Sander vitreus	native	Percidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Most popular sport fish in Michigan and Ohio. Prized for eating. Schools in shallow reefs at night.
Yellow Perch Perca flavescens	native	Percidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Abundant in all five lakes. Commercial and sport fishery. Lake Erie is the top Yellow Perch fishery in the world.
Sauger Sander canadensis	native	Percidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Closely related to walleye; smaller and found in deeper, clearer water.
Muskellunge Esox masquinongy	native	Esocidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	The Great Lakes muskellunge (tiger muskie hybrid) is top predator in weedy shallows. Trophy fish.
Northern Pike Esox lucius	native	Esocidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Large ambush predator of weedy bays and river mouths. Common in all five lakes.
Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens	native	Acipenseridae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Ancient species; can live 150 years. Near-extirpated by overfishing and pollution; slow recovery ongoing.
Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu	native	Centrarchidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Rocky shoreline predator. Prime sport fish throughout the Great Lakes. Lake Erie populations exceptional.
Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides	native	Centrarchidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Weedy bays and river mouths. Popular sport fish in southern parts of the basin.
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus	native	Centrarchidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Abundant panfish in shallow weedy areas throughout the southern lakes.
Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris	native	Centrarchidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Rocky substrate panfish. Red eyes distinctive. Ubiquitous throughout the basin.
Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus	native	Centrarchidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Colorful sunfish of weedy shallows. Common throughout southern basin.
Crappie (Black & White) Pomoxis spp.	native	Centrarchidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Schooling panfish highly prized for eating. Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair crappie fishing popular.
Burbot Lota lota	native	Lotidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	The only freshwater member of the cod family. Deep, cold water. Spawns under ice in January. Excellent eating.
Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus	native	Ictaluridae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Common in rivers and lake shallows. Popular sport fish in the southern basin.
Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus	native	Ictaluridae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Tolerant of degraded water quality. Common in harbors and river mouths.
Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens	native	Sciaenidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Grunts and drums. Only Great Lakes member of the drum family. Teeth adapted for crushing mollusks.
White Bass Morone chrysops	native	Moronidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Schooling predator. Explosive sport fishery on Lake Erie tributary spawning runs in spring.
White Perch Morone americana	invasive	Moronidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Atlantic coast species; invaded via Erie Canal and ballast water. Competes with yellow perch and walleye.
Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum	native	Percidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Small but spectacularly colorful stream species in fast riffles. Sensitive to pollution.
Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus	invasive	Gobiidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Ballast water invader from Eurasia; first detected 1990 in St. Clair River. Now the most abundant bottom fish in the lower Great Lakes.
Tubenose Goby Proterorhinus semilunaris	invasive	Gobiidae	Huron, Erie, Ontario	Second goby species introduced in ballast water; less abundant than round goby.
Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus	invasive	Petromyzontidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Parasitic jawless fish that devastated lake trout after entering via Welland Canal (~1930s). Ongoing control program.
Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus	invasive	Clupeidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Atlantic coast shad species; invaded through Welland Canal. Massive die-offs on Lake Michigan beaches in 1960s. Now partially controlled by salmon stocking.
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio	invasive	Cyprinidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Introduced in 1880s. Churns up sediment, degrades aquatic vegetation. Widespread throughout all five lakes.
Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella	invasive	Cyprinidae	Erie, Ontario, Michigan	Stocked in drainage ditches for vegetation control; escaped. Threatens aquatic vegetation in western Lake Erie.
Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis	invasive	Cyprinidae	Erie, Ontario	Asian carp advancing toward the Great Lakes. Massive filtration feeders. Near-establishment concern in Lake Erie.
Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix	invasive	Cyprinidae	Erie, Ontario	Asian carp. Leaps from the water when startled by boat motors. Not yet established but detected near connecting channels.
Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua	invasive	Percidae	Superior	Eurasian ballast water invader; established in western Lake Superior since 1986. Competes with yellow perch and walleye.
Spiny Waterflea Bythotrephes longimanus	invasive	Cercopagididae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Zooplankton predator. Fouls fishing lines. Reduces zooplankton diversity, affecting fish food supply.
Quagga Mussel Dreissena bugensis	invasive	Dreissenidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Dominant dreissenid in lower Great Lakes. Filter feeding has dramatically reduced phytoplankton and altered the food web.
Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha	invasive	Dreissenidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	First ballast water invader; detected in Lake St. Clair 1988. Massive ecological and infrastructure impacts.
Lake Cisco (Tullibee) Coregonus artedi	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron	Important prey fish for lake trout, walleye, and large salmon. Winter spawner under ice.
Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii	native	Cottidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Common benthic fish in cold, rocky streams and lake shallows throughout the basin.
Trout-Perch Percopsis omiscomaycus	native	Percopsidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Small, abundant deep-water forage fish. Important prey for larger predators in all five lakes.
Stickleback (Brook & Threespine) Gasterosteus/Culaea spp.	native	Gasterosteidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Small fish with bony plates instead of scales. Common in tributary streams and nearshore areas.
Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum	native	Clupeidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Important forage fish in southern lakes. Abundant in warm, eutrophic bays.
Emerald Shiner Notropis atherinoides	native	Cyprinidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	The most abundant open-water forage fish in the Great Lakes. Critical prey for nearly all predator species.
Logperch Percina caprodes	native	Percidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Large darter; flips over pebbles to find invertebrates. Sensitive indicator species for water quality.
Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum	native	Percidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Tiny benthic species common in sandy and gravelly shallows. Widespread throughout the basin.
Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile	native	Percidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Small colorful darter of weedy areas and slow-moving streams. More tolerant than many darter species.
Lake Chub Couesius plumbeus	native	Cyprinidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron	Cold-water minnow of northern streams and the upper Great Lakes.
Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus	native	Cyprinidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Common small minnow in cool, clear streams throughout the basin.
Golden Redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum	native	Catostomidae	Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Large, attractive sucker found in clear rivers with gravel substrate.
White Sucker Catostomus commersonii	native	Catostomidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Most abundant sucker in the basin. Spawning runs in spring streams are ecologically significant.
Longnose Sucker Catostomus catostomus	native	Catostomidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron	Cold, deep-water sucker. Common in Lake Superior and Lake Huron tributaries.
Lake Herring Coregonus artedi	native	Salmonidae	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario	Commercially fished historically; collapsed but recovering in Lakes Superior and Huron.

Species counts are approximate. "Stocked" species may sustain limited wild reproduction in some areas. "Naturalized" species arrived via human activity but are not managed as invasive. Data: USGS GLSC, Michigan DNR, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, FishBase.

Sources: Great Lakes Fishery Commission · USGS Great Lakes Science Center · Michigan DNR Fisheries · USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database · FishBase

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this topic answered from the data.

How many fish species are in the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes system supports approximately 139 fish species, including native species, stocked sport fish, naturalized species that have established wild populations, and invasive species introduced accidentally or intentionally. The upper Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron) have somewhat fewer species than the warmer lower lakes (Erie, Ontario) due to colder temperatures.

What is the most common fish in the Great Lakes?

The Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) is the most abundant open-water forage fish in the Great Lakes. For sport fish, Yellow Perch is the most widely distributed and abundant sport species. The invasive Round Goby has become the most abundant bottom-dwelling fish in the lower Great Lakes.

What invasive fish species are in the Great Lakes?

Major invasive fish species include Round Goby (from ballast water, 1990), Sea Lamprey (via Welland Canal, ~1930s), Alewife (via Welland Canal), White Perch, Common Carp (introduced 1880s), and several Asian carp species approaching from the south. Asian carp (Bighead and Silver) are not yet established but are a major management concern.

Are Asian carp in the Great Lakes?

Asian carp (Bighead Carp and Silver Carp) are not yet established in the Great Lakes but represent the most significant current invasive species threat. Grass carp have been found in western Lake Erie. The US Army Corps of Engineers operates electric barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan.

What happened to Lake Trout in the Great Lakes?

Lake Trout, once the dominant apex predator in the upper Great Lakes, were nearly eliminated in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie by the 1950s due to commercial overfishing and predation by the invasive Sea Lamprey. Intensive sea lamprey control (lampricide treatments, barriers) and stocking since the 1960s have allowed partial recovery, especially in Lake Superior where wild reproduction is most successful.

What is the Sea Lamprey and how is it controlled?

The Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is a parasitic jawless fish native to the Atlantic coast that entered the upper Great Lakes through the Welland Canal around the 1930s. It attaches to fish and rasps through scales to feed on blood and body fluids, killing most hosts. Control involves treating tributary streams with selective lampricide (TFM), installing barriers on spawning streams, and a sterile-male release program. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission coordinates this effort.

What is the best fishing lake in the Great Lakes?

Lake Erie is widely considered the best sport fishing lake in the system — it holds the world's largest walleye population, excellent yellow perch and smallmouth bass fishing, and significant white bass runs. Lake Michigan offers world-class salmon fishing (Chinook, Coho, steelhead). Lake Superior has the best lake trout fishing and pristine wild brook trout streams.

Great Lakes Fish Species — Complete Reference Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

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