North Mississippi Fish Hatchery Visitor Education Center – 10,000

North Mississippi Fish Hatchery
Visitor Education Center
10,000 Gallon Aquarium
Mississippi Native Freshwater
Fish Species
White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis

Other names for white crappie are white
perch, sac-a-lait, calico bass,
papermouth, or goggle-eye.

Adults feed on small fish and insects.

White crappie are deep-bodied and silvery in color, ranging from silvery-white on the belly to
a silvery-green or dark green on the back with possible blue reflections.

There are several vertical bars on the sides. Males may develop dark coloration on the throat
and head during the spring spawning season, which can cause them to be mistaken for
black crappie.

White crappie usually weigh 1 to 3 pounds.

White crappie can grow up to 12 inches and live up to 10 years.

Crappie prefer deep water near drop offs and areas of cover.

Although white crappie stay in reservoirs, oxbow lakes, and rivers, they may be found in
many different types of habitats.

Like other members of the sunfish family, white crappie are nest builders.

They are prolific spawners, which can cause overpopulation. This results in very small
crappie in small lakes and impoundments.

White crappie spawn from March through May or when the water temperature is between 58
and 65 degrees F.

Enid Lake is famous for holding the world record on the white crappie, which is also the
oldest fishing record in the state of Mississippi. This crappie weighed 5 lbs. 3 oz., and was
caught by Fred Bright from Memphis, Tennessee in 1957.

To catch the next world record you might try using worms, grasshoppers, crickets, jigs, or
minnows and fishing around logs and weeds.
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Other names for black crappie are white
perch, calico bass, speck, strawberry
bass, papermouth, or slab.

Black crappie are nocturnal feeders.
Adults feed on insects, insect larvae, and
fish, such as sunfish and minnows.

Black Crappie are deeper bodied than the white crappie, and bluish green or gray in color on
top with white or silver underneath. Irregular black spots on the body appear in a horizontal
fashion, unlike the white crappie, which has distinct vertical bars.

Black crappie do not grow as large as white crappie.

Black crappie males do not develop specialized breeding coloration during spawning season.

The black crappie is easily confused with the white crappie, especially the white crappie
males in breeding season (see White Crappie section).

Black crappie weigh 1 to 3 pounds, grow up to 12 inches, and can live up to 10 years.

Black crappie prefer shallow water lakes and sloughs and spawn in early spring when water
temperatures are between 58 and 65 degrees F.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 4 lbs. 4 oz. caught in 1991 at Arkabutla Reservoir by
Gerald Conlee.

Baits used for white crappie are also used for black crappie.
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides

Other names for largemouth bass are
green trout, bigmouth bass, lineside
bass, bucketmouth bass, or hog.

Mississippi has two species of
largemouth present in our waters. One is the native Micropterus salmoides salmoides and
the Florida largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides floridanus, which has been introduced
into many Mississippi lakes.

Largemouth bass are usually green with dark blotches that form a horizontal stripe (lateral
line) along the middle of the fish on either side.

The underside ranges in color from light green to almost white.

Their upper jaw reaches far beyond the rear margin of the eye.

Largemouth bass can reach lengths of 16 inches.

Largemouth bass usually weigh less than 3 pounds but can reach weights of 15 pounds, with
females growing larger and faster than males.

Native largemouth females can live up to 10 years with males living between 5 and 7 years.

The Florida largemouth bass can live up to 12 years.

Adults feed almost exclusively on other fish, insects, and large invertebrates such as
crayfish.

The smaller bass are not as active at night and are prey for the larger bass.

Largemouth bass seek protective cover such as logs, vegetation, rocks, and even man-made
structures. They prefer clear, quiet water but will survive in a variety of habitats including
streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

Spawning begins in the late winter to early spring or when water temperatures are about 60
degrees F. Males build the nests next to areas having brush piles, near underwater logs, or
in areas under overhanging tree limbs. Males can spawn with more than one female, and a
female may spawn 2 to 3 times. The males care for the nest, protecting it from predators and
keeping the eggs fanned until the eggs hatch.

The largemouth bass, which is the largest bass species in the state, is also Mississippi’s
state fish.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 18.15 lbs. caught in 1992 in Natchez State Park Lake
by Anthony Denny.

Summer is the best time to fish for largemouth bass with the best success in the evenings or
mornings using minnows, artificial baits, earthworms, and even frogs.
Shortnose Gar
Lepisosteus platostomus

Other names for shortnose
gar are billy gar, shortbilled gar, stub-nose gar,
duckbilled gar, or broadnose gar.

Shortnose gar have an elongated body with a short, broad snout and spots on the tail.

The underside is lightly colored with the sides and back of the fish an olive green color.

Shortnose gar may be distinguished from other species in that they lack the double row of
teeth in the upper jaw of the alligator gar, the long snout of the longnose gar, and the spots
of the spotted gar.

Shortnose gar weigh on average 1 to 5 pounds but can reach weights of 20 pounds in
captivity.

These are the smallest of the four different gar species, reaching lengths of 24 to 42 inches.

In the wild, shortnose gar do not live as long as gar in captivity, the last of which can live up
to 20 years.

Adults feed on insect larvae, fish, and small crustaceans usually during the morning hours.

The shortnose gar prefers quiet back waters of large rivers and oxbow lakes.

Shortnose gar spawn in the spring and early summer (April through June) or when
temperatures are between 66 and 74 degrees F in vegetated shallow water.

Shortnose gar eggs, like the other gar eggs, are poisonous.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record for the shortnose is 5.83 lbs. caught by Robert Mills in
Enid spillway in 1999.

As with alligator gar, shortnose gar may be captured by entangling the teeth in nylon threads
or by bowfishing.
Spotted Gar
Lepisosteus oculatus

Other names for
spotted gar are bill fish
and shortnose gar.

The common name, gar, is rooted in the Anglo-Saxon language and means "spear."

Spotted gar have elongated bodies with a long, broad snout and spots on the head, fins, and
body.

This gar is a whitish color underneath and olive green on the sides and the back.

Spotted gar normally weigh between 1 and 5 pounds but can reach weights of 20 pounds.

Spotted gar can reach lengths of over 3 feet.

The spotted gar can live up to 18 years.

Adults feed on insect larvae, small crustaceans, and fish. These gar feed in shallow water at
night while staying in deeper water during the day.

Spotted gar prefer quiet clear waters of rivers and lakes and will spawn in shallow water with
heavy vegetation and little water flow. Spawning season lasts from April to May.

The eggs are very poisonous.

The Mississippi Rod and Reel record for the spotted gar is 6.18 lbs. caught by James
Starnes at Reflection Point (Flowood) in 2005.

Spotted gar are also a target of bowfishers.
Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus osseus

Other names for
longnose gar are
needlenose gar, billyfish, billy gar, pin-nose gar, or scissorlips.

Longnose gar have an elongated body with a long, narrow snout and black spots on the fins
and sides.

The sides and back are dark brown or olive green with the belly a white color.

Longnose gar are normally longer than 3.25 feet, sometimes reaching lengths of 5.25 feet.

Their weight is usually around 20 pounds, but they can reach weights of up to 40 pounds.

Females grow faster and live longer than males. Males usually live 11 years but can live up
to 17 years. Females, on the other hand, can live up to 22 years with most living longer than
17 years. In fact, longnose gar can live up to 30 years in captivity.

Longnose gar’s diet consists of fish, particularly sunfishes and small crustaceans. These fish
eat in late evening and at night in shallow water.

Longnose gar prefer weedy areas of lakes and streams.

These fish spawn in the spring in shallow water ranging from 62 to 70 degrees F.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 40 lbs. caught by J.E. Bennett in Grenada Reservoir
Spillway in 2004.

Longnose gar often tangle themselves in nets and are often caught by using nylon threads to
snare the teeth. They are also targeted by bowfishers. Although some people prefer gar
meat fried or smoked, the eggs are poisonous.
Alligator Gar
Atractosteus spatula

Other names for
alligator gar are
Mississippi alligator
gar, great gar, gator, and gator gar.

The name reflects the shape of the alligator gar’s head which resembles an alligator.

Alligator gar have broad snout and have large, sharp teeth.

These fish have a cylindrical body that is olive-brown on the back and on the sides. The belly
is lighter in color, and dark spots are seen on the fins, mainly the caudal, dorsal and anal
fins.

The alligator gar is the largest of the gar species.

Alligator gar can reach over 9 feet in length and weigh over 300 pounds.

Fish are the main source of the alligator gar’s diet. Fish include catfish and even other gar.
Alligator gar also eat birds like ducks and water turkeys, and gar in brackish water near the
coast prey on blue crabs.

The alligator gar is often mistaken for other gar species. However, the alligator gar is larger
and has a broader snout.

Spawning occurs in late spring.

Alligator gar are targeted by bowfishers. Some are caught by commercial fishers in gill nets.

In 2011, the new trophy record alligator gar was caught with bow and arrow; this gar weighed
234 lbs. In the same year, a commercial fisherman in Lake Chotard caught a 327 lb. alligator
gar in his gill net. It measured 8 ½ feet long.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 215 lbs. caught by Earl Stafford in the Mississippi River
(Natchez) in 2003.
Walleye
Sander viterus

Other names for walleye are yellow
pickerel, snaggletooth bass,
rattlesnake bass, marble eye, glass
eye, or jack fish.

Walleye have a slender body. These fish are golden yellow or greenish brown with dark
blotches and a white belly.

Name reflects its large, glossy eyes.

Walleye are usually between 14 and 28 inches long but can reach lengths of over 30 inches.
Females grow larger than the males.

Walleye can reach weights of up to 10 pounds but can grow to 25 pounds.

Walleye usually live 5 – 8 years but can live up to 10 or even 20 years.

Walleye are a nocturnal fish in both feeding and spawning.

These fish have needle sharp teeth and feed on insects and crayfish in rocky areas.
However, the walleye’s most common source of food is fish, primarily gizzard and threadfin
shad.

Walleye are river fish preferring large, cold water rivers and lakes. These fish are found
mainly in the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway.

Walleye spawn in shallow water with rocky substrate when water temperatures are between
48 and 56 degrees F. This occurs in March.

The Southern Walleye (Gulf Coast Walleye) is unique to the Mobile River Basin. It is
genetically different from the northern strand of walleye.

Southern Walleye are a “Species of Concern” because of impeded migration and the
alteration of deep pool habitat by humans from mining to clear cutting, which results in
stream sedimentation.

The Mississippi Rod and Reel record for walleye is 9.66 lbs. caught by Clayton E. Hobbs in
the Tennessee River (Iuka) in 1985.

Walleye are an excellent sport fish and are sought for their white, flaky meat.

Walleye are best caught at night during the winter and in early spring. Many are caught on
trot lines.

Effective baits to use when fishing for walleye are nightcrawlers, minnows, plugs, spinner
combos, and jigs. Being a schooling fish, if an anglers lands one walleye, chances are
another walleye will be close by.
Redear
Lepomis macrolophus

Other names for redear are chinquapin,
shellcracker, stump knocker, government
bream, Tupelo bream, and cherry gill.

Redear have an elongated body, small
mouth, and pointed snout.

Redear are dark olive with yellow on the sides and have a green belly. These fish are
identified by a distinctive red edge (in males) or orange edge (in females) on the gill cover
(ear flap).

The red margin on the “ear flap” is the origin for the redear’s name.

Redear usually weigh less than 1 pound but can weigh over 4 pounds and reach lengths of
14 inches.

These fish usually live between 5 and 6 years but can live as long as 9 years.

Redear feed on the bottom for snails and clams as well as insects, insect larvae and
crustaceans. They prefer clear quiet waters with abundant vegetation.

Spawning occurs in spring and early summer in water temperatures near 70 degrees F.

Redear spawn in deeper water and construct nests close together. They are known as
community spawners.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record for redear is 3.33 lbs. caught by James K. Martin at
Tippah County Lake in 1991.

Fishing near the bottom using natural (not artificial) baits and worms (such as earthworms
and grubs) is effective when trying to hook a redear.
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus

Other names for bluegill are bream,
coppernose, bull bream, blue sunfish, and
blue joe.

The coppernose bluegill is a Florida
subspecies whose fins have whitish
margins and whose head displays a copper patch. (These bluegill are stocked in the
southern and central portions of the state in smaller impoundments.)

Bluegill are deep bodied. They are dark olive green with a distinctive black spot on the dorsal
fin and intense colors on breeding males. The sides are a blue or silver color and the belly is
yellow, silver, or white.

Bluegill usually weigh between 1/2 to 1 pound but some catches have been recorded
between 4 and 5 pounds.

Bluegill can live up to 5 years but some live up to 7 years.

These fish prefer vegetated waters of shallow lakes and ponds, feeding on insect larvae.
Although they feed primarily in the evenings, they will also feed in the mornings.

Spawning takes place in water temperatures around 70 degrees F.

These fish are community spawners with nests located close together.

Nests are not located in heavily vegetated areas. Males will compete for a site, sweeping
away sand and exposing the coarse gravel.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 3.45 lbs. caught by Gerald E. Thurmond in a Farm
Pond in 1995.

Even small bluegill can give a scrappy fight. Crickets, earthworms, small artificial baits
(spinners and flies) are excellent baits to use around the shore near vegetated areas, but do
not fish after dusk since this is when bluegill stop biting.
Longear Sunfish
Lepomis megalotis

Other names for longear are creek perch, red
belly, big-eared sunfish, tobacco box, and brilliant
sunfish.

Deep bodied, the top portion of the longear’s body
ranges from brown to olive green. Fins are also an olive green color with traces of orange
and red.

Longear sunfish have a red belly and breast area and blue stripes. Additional colored
markings are seen on the body.

The colors in males will be more brilliant during breeding.

Longear sunfish have a long gill flap, which is black and edged in white.

These fish are usually less than 1 pound but can reach weights of almost 2 pounds.

Longear sunfish are normally 2.8 – 7 inches in length but can reach lengths of 9 1/2 inches.

These fish can live up to 6 years in the South.

Habitats are in areas of shallow waters in streams and lakes. Longear Sunfish eat small fish
and insects.

Spawning takes place in shallow waters in a period ranging from the later portion of spring
into the early portion of summer.

Longear are nests spawners with nests located close together.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 0.21 lbs. caught by Patton Guest in Fresh Water Lake
in 2009.

Small poppers and many different types of bait like crickets are used by anglers to land a
sunfish.
Freshwater Drum
Aplodinotus grunniens

Other names for freshwater drum are drum
fish, gaspergou, gou, sheepshead, grunt,
or croaker.

The common name comes from the
drumming sound it makes with its air
bladder.

Drum have large ear stones in the inner ear used or associated with motion detection and
hearing. These ear stones are called “lucky bones.” They were used by Native Americans to
ward off sicknesses or to use in ceremonies; they were also used as wampum by certain
tribes.

These fish have a blunt rounded snout; they are deep bodied and silvery with a red or a rosy
color underneath.

Drum can reach weights of 50 pounds, but their weight is usually less than 10 pounds.

Drum can reach lengths of 4 feet, although they usually only reach maximum lengths of
about 27.4 inches.

Drum can live up to 13 years.

Adults feed on fish, mussels, clams, and snails.

Freshwater drum prefer to inhabit the silty bottoms of rivers and lakes.

Water temperature during spawning is between 64 and 78 degrees F; this occurs in May and
June.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 29.85 lbs. caught by Bryan Alan Christian in Sardis
Lake Spillway in 2011.
Bowfin
Amia calva

Other names for bowfin are
grinnel, dog fish, choupique,
cypress trout, cypress bass,
and mud fish.

A bowfin has a flattened head with sharp teeth and a long stout body with a long distinctive
dorsal fin.

Their swim bladder extending the entire length of the body is used as a lung. These fish
surface to exhale and inhale air replenishing the air in their swimbladder.

A distinctive black spot (ocellus), which is surrounded by orange or yellow, is located in the
upper portion of the caudal fin’s base. This is prominent in young bowfin. However, adult
females lose the distinctiveness of this spot unlike adult males.

The back and sides are mottled olive green turning to a lighter green or a whitish color on the
belly.

All the fins are light green except for the dorsal and caudal fins, which are dark green.

Bowfin usually reaches weights of 1 to 3 pounds but can reach weights of over 20 pounds.

Bowfin are usually 15 to 25 inches in length.

Bowfin live up to 10 years, with some in captivity living as long as 30 years.

Bowfin prefers sluggish, swampy bays of warm rivers and lakes and feed on fish such as
crappie. They also eat crayfish, grass shrimp, frogs, and insects.

Bowfin migrate into shallower areas and usually feed at night. They spawn in the spring
when water temperatures are between 64 and 78 degrees F. Males build bowl shaped nests,
which are constructed in shallow water in weedy areas.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 18 lbs. 14 oz. caught by B. H. Toney at Ross Barnett
Reservoir in 1978.

Bowfin are considered by many anglers to be one of the most aggressive fish to hook while
fishing. Bait used for catching a bowfin includes worms, nightcrawlers, minnows, frogs,
crayfish or artificial bait.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus

Other names for channel
catfish are fiddler, willow cat,
speckled cat, government cat,
and river cat.

A channel catfish has a whitish belly and olive or brown body. It has a deeply forked tail,
barbels, and black spots on the sides and tail.

Channel catfish typically weigh between 5 and 10 pounds but can reach weights of over 58
pounds.

These fish can reach lengths of up to 50 inches.

Channel catfish live at least 6 to 10 years but can live longer.

Channel catfish feed on insect larvae, crustaceans, crayfish, and small fish such as gizzard
shad and minnows. They eat before dawn and after dusk.

These fish are active at night in streams, rivers, oxbow lakes, and ponds.

Channel catfish spawn in late spring to early summer when water temperatures are between
60 and 75 degrees F.

Mississippi's Rod and Reel record is 51 lbs. 12 oz. caught by Tom Edwards at Lake Tom
Bailey in 1997.

These fish can be caught in a variety of ways including hand grabbing, jugs, limblines, rod
and reels, and trotlines. The best bait to use is liver, stink baits, cut fishes, and worms.
Bigmouth Buffalo
Ictiobus cyprinellus

Other names for largemouth buffalo
are buffalo, white buffalo, and
gourdhead.

The bigmouth buffalo has a large,
wide mouth. It has a coppery olivebrown or even gray back with a
white belly and white lips.

Bigmouth buffalo can reach lengths of 4 feet.

This fish normally weighs between 3 and 12 pounds but can reach weights of 80 pounds.

This type of fish can live up to 10 years in Mississippi, but some bigmouth buffalo have been
reported living as long as 20 years.

Bigmouth buffalo prefer large streams, rivers and reservoirs. These fish feed on the bottom
for crustaceans, mollusks, plants and algae.

Bigmouth buffalo spawn in the spring in shallow water when water temperatures are between
58 and 78 degrees F.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 46 lbs. 3 oz. caught by Willie Hearn at a private pond in
2007.

Hoop nets are used to catch bigmouth buffalo 20 inches long.
Smallmouth Buffalo
Ictiobus bubalus

Other names for smallmouth buffalo are
razor-back buffalo, round buffalo, buffalo
drum, and roachback.

Smallmouth buffalo are deep bodied.
They are light to dark gray or black with
a high arch to the back.

This type of buffalo has a large head and large eyes with a small downward turned mouth.

These buffalo can grow to lengths of around 36 inches.

This fish usually weighs between 6 and 8 pounds but can reach weights of up to 50 and even
68 pounds.

In the Yalobusha River smallmouth buffalo can live at least nine years, but they have been
reported living up to 18 years in different states.

Smallmouth buffalo prefer deep, large streams, rivers, and reservoirs; this fish feeds on the
bottom for crustaceans, mollusks, plants, and algae.

Between March and May, spawning occurs in shallow water with temperatures between 57
and 70 degrees F.

Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 57 lbs. 12 oz. caught by Charles M. Cox at Ross
Barnett Reservoir in 1983.
Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio

Other names for the common carp
are German carp, European carp,
buglemouth bass, or carp.

The common carp is a heavybodied minnow with barbels on
either side of the upper jaw.

Typically, its color varies from olive green, brassy green or yellow, golden brown, or even
gray on top with yellowish-white on the belly.

Carp measuring 12-25 inches in length and weighing 5-25 pounds are common.

Common carp can weigh over 75 pounds and reach lengths of 48 inches.

Carp may also live in excess of 47 years in ponds. In the wild, this lifespan usually does not
exceed 20 years.

Carp feed on the bottom for plant and animal material.

Carp live in a variety of habitats from deep streams to marshes.

Common carp are native to temperate portions of Europe and Asia. They were first
introduced into North America in the late 1880s.

Spawning occurs in shallow, weedy areas in the spring with water temperatures between 62
and 76 degrees F.

A growing number of anglers in the U.S., including Mississippi, have an increasing interest in
carp as a sportfish, a species also targeted by bow-fishers.

Flavor of the carp varies. Flavor is affected by the quality of the water in which fish was
captured.

The Mississippi Rod and Reel record is 74 lbs. caught in 1963 at Pelahatchie Lake by Curtis
Wade. This is also the U.S. angling record.

Carp can be caught using a variety of baits from pet food to dough-balls and canned corn.
The carp are also caught using a bow and arrow!
Koi Carp

Koi Carp feed on plant and animal material, and this fish is
used as food for most of the other fish in the aquarium.

Koi Carp are prolific spawners, spawning in early summer.

A mutation of the common carp, this fish resembles a goldfish. However, unlike a goldfish,
the carp has barbels on each side of its mouth.

Koi can reach lengths of 30 inches but normally grows to 14 inches.

Koi are native to Asia (primarily Japan and China) and are seen in a variety of colors
including combinations of orange, white, red, and black.

Fins are different in the males and females with the male’s fins being smaller, more colorful,
and edged, while the female’s fins are bigger, less colorful, and rounded.
American Eel
Anguilla rostrata

Other names for the American eel are
Atlantic eel, common eel, freshwater eel,
glass eel, yellow eel, and silver eel.

The dorsal fin extends along two/thirds of the eels body. This fin is longer than the anal fin.
These two fins and the caudal fin run together forming one long fin wrapping around the eel.
The American eel has a terminal mouth and many sharp, small teeth.

Eels have small, imbedded scales that do not overlap each other, causing the eel to appear
smooth and without scales. Eels must be between 3 and 5 years old to form scales.

Many other names for the American eel identify a period of maturity, reflecting a change in
the eels color.

After spawning in the Atlantic Ocean, eel larvae travel a year to reach waters on the coast.
These juveniles are transparent. Therefore, they are termed glass eels as they reach the
coast.

Eels then travel to freshwater up river. These eels spend 3 – 20 years in fresh water where
they grow the most, becoming yellow eels. Females stay in fresh water longer than males
and travel further inland.

Upon maturing in freshwater, these eels and travel back down river as silver eels, returning
to the ocean to spawn and die.

In the southern Sargasso Sea, eels spawn starting in February and continuing through April.
Females can produce half a million to 8.5 million small eggs. The number of eggs depends
on the size of the female.

Bivalve mollusks and crustaceans like blue crab are the main source of the eels’ diet when it
is in coastal waters. In freshwater, macroinvertebrates like caddisflies, dragonsflies, mayflies,
and stoneflies are the main food source. The insect larvae are prey for small eels while large
invertebrates are prey for larger eels. Other food sources for large eels include fish and
crayfish.

Eels eat mostly at night. They eat by three methods, which are food suction, grasp-andshake, and spin-feeding. When eating by spin-feeding, eels turn in 3 – 14 rotations at a time,
depending on the size of their prey, which requires more spins.

These eels can grow to at least 4 feet and weigh up to 8 lbs.

The Mississippi rod and reel record is 5 lbs. 1 oz. caught by Mitch McLendon in the MS River
(Vicksburg) in 1994.

American eels are not poisonous; their bite will not harm an angler or commercial fisher who
catches one of them. Their meat is safe to eat, and many people enjoy eel steaks.
(Fish Illustrations by Joseph Tomelleri; American eel illustration retrieved from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)