Freshwater Game Fish

Freshwater fish species include fish that spend most of all of their lives in fresh water, such as lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams and rivers, with a salinity level under 1.05%. Freshwater fish include catadromous fish which generally live in freshwater water and only enter saltwater to spawn. Below are most popular freshwater game fish in North America.

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Alewife

Habitat
Ocean, Lake, Stream, Bay

Region
South, Northeast

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Alligator Gar

Habitat
Bay, Lake, River

Region
South

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American Eel

Habitat
Ocean, Lake, River

Region
South

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Apache Trout

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
West

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Arctic Grayling

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
West

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Bigmouth Buffalo

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South, West

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Black Bullhead

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West, Midwest, South

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Black Crappie

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast, West

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Blue Catfish

Habitat
River, Stream

Region
Midwest, West, South

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Blueback Herring

Habitat
Ocean, River, Bay

Region
Northeast, South

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Bluegill

Habitat
Bay, Lake, Pond

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast, West

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Bowfin

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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Brook Trout

Habitat
Ocean, River, Stream

Region
Northeast, South

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Brown Bullhead

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West, Midwest, Northeast, South

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Brown Trout

Habitat
Ocean, River, Stream

Region
Northeast, South, Midwest, West

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Bull Trout

Habitat
Lake, River

Region
West

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Burbot

Habitat
Bay, Lake, Pond

Region
West, Midwest, Northeast

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Butterfly Peacock Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
South

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Chain Pickerel

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Northeast, South

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Channel Catfish

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
Midwest, South

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Common Carp

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast, West

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Cutthroat Trout

Habitat
River, Stream, Ocean

Region
West

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Flathead Catfish

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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Florida Gar

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
South

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Freshwater Drum

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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Golden Shiner

Habitat
Lake, River

Region
Midwest

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Golden Trout

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
West

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Grass Carp

Habitat
River, Stream

Region
Northeast, Midwest, West, South

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Green Sunfish

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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Inconnu

Habitat
Lake, Ocean, River

Region
West

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Lake Trout

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
Northeast, Midwest, West

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Lake Whitefish

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West, Midwest, Northeast

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Largemouth Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast, West

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Longnose Gar

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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Mirror Carp

Habitat
Lake, River, Pond, Canal

Region
Northeast

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Mosquitofish

Habitat
River, Tributary

Region
Midwest, South

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Mountain Whitefish

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West

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Mud Sunfish

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River, Creek

Region
Northeast, South

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Muskellunge

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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Northern Pike

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
West, Northeast, Midwest

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Northern Pikeminnow

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West

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Northern Snakehead

Habitat
River, Lake, Canal

Region
Northeast, South, West

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Oscar

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
South

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Paddlefish

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast

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Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Northeast, Midwest

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Rainbow Trout

Habitat
Ocean, River, Stream

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast, West

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Redbreast Sunfish

Habitat
Lakes, Stream

Region
Midwest

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Redear Sunfish

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
South

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Redeye Bass

Habitat
Creek, River, Stream

Region
South

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Redfin Pickerel

Habitat
Lakes, Ponds, Streams

Region
Northeast, South

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Rock Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West, Midwest, Northeast

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Round Whitefish

Habitat
Lake, River

Region
Midwest

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Sauger

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Midwest, South

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Saugeye

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, West

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Shoal Bass

Habitat
Creek, River, Stream

Region
South

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Shorthead Redhorse

Habitat
Lake, Pond, Stream

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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Shortnose Gar

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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Shortnose Sturgeon

Habitat
River, Bay

Region
Northeast, South

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Silver Redhorse

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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Smallmouth Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Midwest, South, Northeast, West

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Smallmouth Buffalo

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West, Midwest, South

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Speckled Peacock Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
South

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Splake

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
Midwest

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Spotted Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
South

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Spotted Gar

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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Striped Bass

Habitat
Bay, Ocean, River

Region
Northeast

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Striped Bass Hybrid

Habitat
River, Lake, Pond, Stream

Region
Midwest

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Sturgeon

Habitat
Bay, Ocean, River

Region
Northeast, South

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Tiger Muskellunge

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Northeast, West, South

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Tiger Trout

Habitat
Pond, River, Stream

Region
Midwest, West

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Walleye

Habitat
Midwest, West

Region
Northeast, South, Midwest, West

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Warmouth

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
Midwest, South

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White Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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White Catfish

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
South

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White Crappie

Habitat
Lake, River

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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White Perch

Habitat
Bay, Ocean, River

Region
Northeast

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White Sucker

Habitat
Lake, River, Stream

Region
Midwest, Northeast

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Whiterock Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond, Creek

Region
Northeast, South

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Wiper

Habitat
Lake, Pond, River

Region
West, Midwest, Northeast, South

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Yellow Bass

Habitat
Lake, Pond, Stream

Region
Northeast, Midwest, South

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Yellow Bullhead

Habitat
Lake, River

Region
Midwest

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Yellow Perch

Habitat
Lake, River

Region
Midwest