Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalus
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Coldwater species
Average length: 6-12"
Vermont's only native stream-dwelling trout. Actually a char, they
have worm-like marking against a greenish back, and their flanks are
covered with light yellowish spots, with small bright red spots
surrounded by blue halos along the literal mid-section. They have
squarish tails, hence the nickname "Squaretails". |
Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
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Coldwater species
Average length: 8-18"
A true trout that were first brought to Vermont from their native
Europe in 1892. They have a light brown overall color, especially in
streams, with dark spots intermixed with reddish-orange spots along
their flanks, with each spot surrounded by a light halo. |
Lake Trout
Salvelinus namaycush
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Coldwater species
Average length: 15-20"
A native to many of Vermont's deep, cold lakes and like brook trout,
are actually a char. They have a forked tail, white leading edges on
their lower fins, and irregular light spots against a back-ground
color that ranges from light olive green to gray. |
Landlocked Salmon
Salmo Salar
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Coldwater species
Average length: 12-20"
Identical to sea-going Atlantic salmon. They have a forked tail,
silvery flanks, and black spots on the upper half of their body.
Unlike lake-dwelling brown trout, which they can closely resemble,
salmon have no spots on their adipose and tail fins. |
Rainbow Smelt
Osmerus mordax
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Coldwater species
Average length: 7-8"
A small, slender schooling fish found in Vermont's deeper and colder
lakes. They have a strongly forked tail and iridescent silver flanks.
They are a favorite forage fish of trout and salmon, and are popular
with ice fishermen. |
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
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Coldwater species
Average length: 7-8"
A true native to the American West that were introduced in Vermont in
the 1800s. Their tail and flanks are heavily spotted with small,
well-defined black spots, and their flank usually has a pink or
reddish stripe, for which they are named. Migratory lake-run rainbow
trout are silverfish in color and are called steelhead. |
Brown Bullhead
Ameirus nebulosus
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 10-14"
The "horned pout" are the most common member of the catfish
family in Vermont. They have smooth, olive-brown to dark-brown flanks
with a sharp, stout spine on the leading edge of their dorsal and
pectoral fins. They have a broad, flat mouth surrounded by six
whisker-like barbels. |
Chain Pickerel
Esox Niger
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 15-20"
A member of the same family that includes northern pike. Unlike pike,
pickerel have fully scaled gill covers, and their tail, dorsal and
anal fins have no conspicuous spots or blotches. Their flanks are a
light, golden green, with dark, chain-like markings. |
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 8-15"
The largest member of the sunfish family in Vermont. They have a
large, round mouth when open, and when their mouth is closed their
upper jaw extends well past their eye. Their flanks are light green to
golden-green, with a pronounced horizontal bar. |
Northern Pike
Esox lucius
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 15-20"
A long, slender fish that has a large mouth, and dorsal and anal fins
placed far to the rear. They have greenish gray flanks with several
rows of irregular, yellowish-white bean shaped spots. Pike have scales
only on the upper half of their gill covers and their tail, dorsal and
anal fins have dark spots or blotches. |
Pumpkinseed
Lepomis gibbosus
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 7-9"
A small, brightly colored sunfish that is representative of a group of
fish called "panfish," which in Vermont includes bluegill,
redbreast sunfish, rock bass and black crappie. Panfish rarely exceed
10 inches, but they are excellent eating, abundant and fun to catch
for anglers of all ages. |
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieui
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 8-15"
Closely related to largemouth bass, except they prefer cooler, clearer
waters and when their mouth is closed their upper jaw extends only to
just below their eye. Their flanks are golden green to brownish
bronze, with 8 to 15 dark, thin vertical bars. |
Yellow Perch
Perca flavescens
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 4-10"
One of Vermont's favorite food fishes and common to waters throughout
the state. A schooling fish, yellow perch have golden-yellow flanks
with 6 to 8 dark vertical bars. In the late winter and early spring,
spawning males develop bright orange lower fins. |
Walleye
Stizostedion vitreum
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Warmwater Species
Average length: 13-21"
The largest member of the perch family that includes yellow perch and
sauger. They have a large, silvery eye, a milky belly and flanks that
range from olive brown to golden-yellow. Walleye can be differentiated
from sauger, which they closely resemble, by their first dorsal fin,
which is dusky colored and spotless.
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