List of fish of Montana explained

There are at least 31 game and 59 non-game fish species known to occur in Montana.^[1] Among Montana's fish, three are listed as endangered or threatened species and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks lists a number of species as species of concern.^[2]

Species are listed by common name, scientific name, typical habitat and occurrence. Common and scientific names are from the Montana Field Guide.^[1]

Game fish

Trout

Order: Salmoniformes, Family: Salmonidae^[3]

• Native species
  • Westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi (Salish: Pisɫ) ^[4]
  • Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri
  • Columbia River redband trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri
  • Bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus (Salish: Aáy or Ɫaʔáy; Kutenai: Tuhuǂ) ^[4]
  • Montana Arctic grayling, Thymallus arcticus montanus^[5]
  • Lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush
  • Mountain whitefish, Prosopium williamsoni (Salish: X̣ʷy̓u) ^[4]
  • Pygmy whitefish, Prosopium coulteri
  • Lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Other than the red band subspecies, rainbow trout are an introduced species in Montana)
  • Brown trout, Salmo trutta
  • Golden trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita
  • Brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis
  • Arctic grayling, Thymallus arcticus^[5] - Adfluvial grayling introduced into Montana Lakes
  • Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
  • Kokanee salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka
  • Cisco, Coregonus artedi

Paddlefish

Order: Acipenseriformes, Family: Polyodontidae^[6]

• Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula

Pike

Order: Esociformes, Family: Esocidae^[7]

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Northern pike, Esox lucius
  • Tiger muskellunge, Esox masquinongy × lucius

Bass, Sunfish

Order: Perciformes, Family: Centrarchidae^[8]

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus
  • Largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides
  • Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu
  • White crappie, Pomoxis annularis

Perch

Order: Perciformes, Family: Percidae^[9]

• Native species
  • Sauger, Sander canadensis
• Non-native, exotic species
  • Yellow perch, Perca flavescens
  • Walleye, Sander vitreus

Catfish

Order: Siluriformes, Family: Ictaluridae^[10]

• Native species
  • Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

Sturgeon

Order: Acipenseriformes, Family: Acipenseridae ^[11]

• Native species
  • Pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus
  • Shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
  • White sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

Burbot

Order: Gadiformes, Family: Gadidae^[12]

• Native species
  • Burbot, Lota lota

Non-game fish

Bass, sunfish

Order: Perciformes, Family: Centrarchidae^[8]

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus
  • Green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus
  • Pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus
  • Rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris

Perch

Order: Perciformes, Family: Percidae^[9]

• Native species
  • Iowa darter, Etheostoma exile

Temperate basses

Order: Perciformes, Family: Moronidae^[13]

• Non-native, exotic species
  • White bass, Morone chrysops

Catfish

Order: Siluriformes, Family: Ictaluridae^[10]

• Native species
  • Stonecat, Noturus flavus
• Non-native, exotic species
  • Black bullhead, Ameiurus melas
  • Yellow bullhead, Ameiurus natalis

Drum

Order: Perciformes, Family: Sciaenidae^[14]

• Native species
  • Freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens

Smelt

Order: Salmoniformes, Family: Osmeridae^[15]

• Non native, exotic species
  • Rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax

Gars

Order: Lepisosteiformes. Family: Lepisosteidae^[16]

• Native species
  • Shortnose gar, Lepisosteus platostomus

Mooneyes

Order: Hiodontiformes, Family: Hiodontidae^[17]

• Native species
  • Goldeye, Hiodon alosoides

Mollies

Order: Cyprinodontiformes, Family: Poeciliidae^[18]

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Green swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri
  • Sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna
  • Shortfin molly, Poecilia mexicana
  • Variable platyfish, Xiphophorus variatus
  • Western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis

Killifish

Order: Cyprinodontiformes, Family: Fundulidae^[19]

• Non-Native, exotic species
  • Northern Plains killifish, Fundulus kansae
  • Banded killifish, Fundulus diaphanus

Minnows

Order: Cypriniformes, Family: Cyprinidae^[20]

• Native species
  • Brassy minnow, Hybognathus hankinsoni
  • Emerald shiner, Notropis atherinoides
  • Fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas
  • Flathead chub, Platygobio gracilis
  • Golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas
  • Longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae
  • Northern pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus oregonensis (Salish: Qʷq̓é) ^[4]
  • Northern redbelly dace, Phoxinus eos
  • Peamouth, Mylocheilus caurinus
  • Allegheny pearl dace, Margariscus margarita
  • Northern pearl dace, Margariscus nachtriebi
  • Plains minnow, Hybognathus placitus
  • Redside shiner, Richardsonius balteatus
  • Sand shiner, Notropis stramineus
  • Sicklefin chub, Macrhybopsis meeki
  • Western silvery minnow, Hybognathus argyritis
  • Sturgeon chub, Macrhybopsis gelida
  • Lake chub, Couesius plumbeus
  • Creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus
• Non-native, exotic species
  • Goldfish, Carassius auratus
  • Common carp, Cyprinus carpio
  • Spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius
  • Utah chub, Gila atraria

Suckers

Order: Cypriniformes, Family: Catostomidae^[21]

• Native species
  • Bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus
  • Blue sucker, Cycleptus elongatus
  • Largescale sucker, Catostomus macrocheilus
  • Longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus
  • Mountain sucker, Catostomus platyrhynchus
  • River carpsucker, Carpiodes carpio
  • Shorthead redhorse, Moxostoma macrolepidotum
  • Smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus
  • White sucker, Catostomus commersoni

Mudminnows

Order: Esociformes, Family: Umbridae^[22]

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Central mudminnow, Umbra limi

Sculpins

Order: Scorpaeniformes, Family: Cottidae^[23]

• Native species
  • Deepwater sculpin, Myoxocephalus thompsonii
  • Mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi
  • Slimy sculpin, Cottus cognatus
  • Spoonhead sculpin, Cottus ricei
  • Torrent sculpin, Cottus rhotheus

Sticklebacks

Order: Gasterosteiformes, Family: Gasterosteidae^[24]

• Native species
  • Brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans

Trout-perch

Order: Percopsiformes, Family: Percopsidae^[25]

• Native species
  • Trout-perch, Percopsis omiscomaycus

See also

• List of amphibians and reptiles of Montana
• Birds of Montana
• List of non-marine molluscs of Montana
• Fishes of Yellowstone National Park

Further reading

• Web site: Montana Fisheries Information System . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
• Book: Burr, Brooks M. . A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico (Peterson Field Guides) . registration . Page, Lawrence M. . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . Boston . 1991 . 0-395-91091-9 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Montana Field Guide . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-24.
2. Species of Concern are native taxa that are at-risk due to declining population trends, threats to their habitats, restricted distribution, and/or other factors. Designation as a Montana Species of Concern or Potential Species of Concern is based on the Montana Status Rank, and is not a statutory or regulatory classification. Rather, these designations provide information that helps resource managers make proactive decisions regarding species conservation and data collection priorities. Web site: Species Status Codes . 2010-11-20.
3. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Trout . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
4. Book: Rockwell , David . Salish Kootenai College Tribal History Project. čɫq̓étkʷ ntx̣ʷétkʷs - 'a kinmituk - The Lower Flathead River, Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana, a cultural, historical, and scientific resource. Pablo, Montana. 2008.
5. Web site: Arctic Grayling - Montana Field Guide . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . July 31, 2023.
6. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Paddlefish . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
7. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Pikes and Pickerels . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
8. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Sunfishes. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
9. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Perches. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
10. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Catfish and Bullheads . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
11. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Sturgeon . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
12. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Burbot . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
13. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Temperate Basses. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
14. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Drums . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
15. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Smelt . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
16. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Gars . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
17. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Mooneyes . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
18. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Livebearers (Mosquitofish / Mollies / Swordtails) . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
19. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Killifish . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
20. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Minnows . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
21. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Suckers . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
22. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Mudminnows . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
23. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Sculpins . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
24. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Sticklebacks . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.
25. Web site: Montana Field Guide-Trout-Perch . Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks . 2010-11-25.