J.R. Shute, Conservation Fisheries, Inc. Following the spine of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway does not seem like a place that would offer much in the way of fish habitat. Surprisingly the parkway’s waters are home to 90 species of fish, including 6 that are rare and another 8 that are not native to the area. The parkway is home to several types of game fish, including three species of trout—Southern Appalachian brook trout are native to the region, while rainbow and brown trout have been introduced. Smallmouth and largemouth bass, sunfish, bluegills and crappies are found in some of the parkway's man-made lakes and ponds. Some parkway waters are stocked and state fishing regulations apply. While brook trout gets most of the attention, there are many other fish species to admire. With colorful names such as bluehead chub, redlip shiner, silver redhorse, and rosyside dace, these fish are noticed by few visitors. Generally lumped together as minnows, these 25 fish species are usually just seen as a small flash in the water.
Fish Species Found in Parkway Waters:Bass, Largemouth Micropterus salmoidesBass, Rock Ambloplites rupestris Bass, Smallmouth Micropterus dolomieu Bass, Striped Morone saxatilis Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Bullhead, Black Ameiurus melas Bullhead, Brown Ameiurus nebulosus Bullhead, Flat Ameiurus platycephalus Bullhead, Yellow Ameiurus natalis Carp, Common Cyprinus carpio Catfish, Channel Ictalurus punctatus Catfish, Flathead Pylodictis olivaris Chub, Bluehead Nocomis leptocephalus Chub, Bull Nocomis raneyi Chub, Creek Semotilus atromaculatus Chub, Highback Hybopsis hypsinotus Chub, River Nocomis micropogon Crappie, Black Pomoxis nigromaculatus Crappie, White Pomoxis annularis Dace, Eastern Blacknose Rhinichthys atratulus Dace, Longnose Rhinichthys cataractae Dace, Mountain Redbelly Phoxinus oreas Dace, Rosyside Clinostomus funduloides Dace, Western Blacknose Rhinichthys obtusus Darter, Appalachia Percina gymnocephala Darter, Banded Etheostoma zonale Darter, Fantail Etheostoma flabellare Darter, Johnny Etheostoma nigrum Darter, Kanawha Etheostoma kanawhae Darter, Redline Etheostoma rufilineatum Darter, Riverweed Etheostoma podostemone Darter, Roanoke Percina roanoka Darter, Stripeback Percina notogramma Darter, Swannanoa Etheostoma swannanoa Darter, Tesselated Etheostoma olmstedi Eel, American Anguilla rostrate Fallfish Semotilus corporalis Hog Sucker, Roanoke Hypentelium roanokense Jumprock, Black Moxostoma cervinum Jumprock, Striped Moxostoma rupiscartes Madtom, Margined Noturus insignis Minnow, Bluntnose Pimephales notatus Minnow, Fathead Pimephales promelas Minnow, Kanawha Phenacobius teretulus Muskellunge Esox masquinongy Perch, Yellow Perca flavescens Piranha, Red-bellied Pygocentrus nattereri Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus Quillback Carpiodes cyprinus Redhorse, Golden Moxostoma erythrurum Redhorse, Notchlip Moxostoma collapsum Redhorse, Shorthead Moxostoma macrolepidotum Redhorse, Silver Moxostoma anisurum` Redhorse, V-lip Moxostoma pappillosum Sculpin, Banded Cottus carolinae Sculpin, Mottled Cottus bairdi Shad, Gizzard Dorosoma cepedianum Shiner, Comely Notropis amoenus Shiner, Common Luxilus cornutus Shiner, Crescent Luxilus cerasinus (Notropis cerasinus) Shiner, Golden Notemigonus crysoleucas Shiner, Mimic Notropis volucellus Shiner, Mirror Notropis spectrunculus Shiner, Redlip Notropis chiliticus Shiner, Rosefin Lythrurus ardens Shiner, Rosyface Notropis rubellus Shiner, Saffron Notropis rubricroceus Shiner, Satinfin Cyprinella analostana Shiner, Spotfin Cyprinella spiloptera Shiner, Spottail Notropis hudsonius Shiner, Swallowtail Notropis procne Shiner, Telescope Notropis telescopus Shiner, Warpaint Luxilus coccogenis Shiner, White Luxilus albeolus Shiner, Whitetail Cyprinella galactura Stoneroller, Central Campostoma anomalum Stoneroller, undescribed Campostoma sp. Cf. anomalum Sucker, Northern Hog Hypentelium nigricans Sucker, Rustyside Thoburnia hamiltoni Sucker, Torrent Thoburnia rhothoeca Sucker, White Catostomus commersoni Sunfish, Green Lepomis cyanellus Sunfish, Hybrid Lepomis hybrid Sunfish, Longear Lepomis megalotis Sunfish, Readear Micropterus dolomieu Sunfish, Redbreast Lepomis auritus Trout, Brook Salvelinus fontinalis Trout, Brown Salmo trutta Trout, Rainbow Oncorhynchus mykiss Warmouth Lepomis gulosus |
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Last updated: January 30, 2018