Wisconsin Game Fish Identification

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Wisconsin Game Fish Identification
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Caudal Fin
Dorsal Fin
Operculum
Pectoral Fin
Anal Fin
Pelvic Fin
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Bluegill
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Bluegill

• 1/2 as deep as long
• under 1 thick
• blue color on lower portion of both the jaw and
  operculum
• Color is NOT a good way to identify

• Dark round spot on the rear dorsal fin
• 5-9 dark vertical bands running down their sides.

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Pumpkinseed
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Pumpkinseed

• Lateral facial markings
• Scarlet spot on opercle flap
• 7-8 dark vertical bands
• Very similar to bluegill

• Very colorful, but color is a poor ID indicator.

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Red Eared Sunfish
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Red Eared Sunfish

• Produced from a Bluegill and Pumpkinseed
  crossbreeds.
• Looks very similar to Bluegill or Pumpkinseed,
  but slight differences.

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Crappie
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Crappie

• Both Black and White (black 7-8 dorsal spines,
  white 6 dorsal spines.)
• Mottled Markings
• Color is not a good identification indicator
• Very thin, perhaps the thinnest of all sunfish
• 8-10 inches is common

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Yellow Perch
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Yellow Perch

• Golden Yellow Coloration on their sides. (may
  vary)
• 6-8 dark vertical bands along their sides
• have two dorsal fins, membrane between the two is
  black
• caudal fin is slightly rounded and forked
• 3.5 times as long as deep
• unlike walleyes, they do not have canines

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Largemouth Bass
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Largemouth Bass

• Upper jaw extends beyond the eye
• Deep notch in dorsal fin
• Caudal fin is forked and rounded
• Golden-brown eye
• Dark, irregular horizontal stripe along lateral
  line

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Smallmouth Bass
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Smallmouth Bass

• Upper jaw does not extends beyond the eye
• Slight notch in dorsal fin
• Caudal fin is not forked and not rounded
• Red eye
• Dark, vertical stripe along sides

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White Bass
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White Bass

• Brown eye
• Silver color
• many dark, horizontal lines along the sides

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Rock Bass
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Rock Bass

• Brown eye
• Brown coloration, with light vertical stripes
  along the sides

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Walleye
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Walleye

• Canines along the lower jaw
• irregularly-shaped vertical blotches along sides
• Upper half of body has mottled vertical stripes
• Dark blotch on back of anterior dorsal fin, no
  spots on dorsal fin
• Silvery, opaque marble eyes that glow in the dark
• White tip on lower edge of caudal fin

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Sauger
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Sauger

• Very similar to a walleye
• spots on the anterior dorsal fin, no black blotch
  at the back of anterior dorsal
• no white tip on low caudal fin

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Northern Pike
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Northern Pike

• Hard-muscled, tube-shaped fish with elongated
  body and a flat, duckbill snout
• light, bean-shaped markings that run the length
  of the body in horizontal rows
• Tiger-striped fins
• Rounded caudal, pelvic and pectoral fins
• Scales cover the cheek and upper half of the
  operculum
• 5-7 pores on each side of lower jaw

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Muskellunge
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Muskellunge

• Hard-muscled, tube-shaped fish with elongated
  body and a flat, duckbill snout
• vertical stripes along each side of the fish
• Tiger-striped fins
• Pointed caudal, pelvic and pectoral fins
• No scales on the cheek and upper half of the
  operculum
• 6-9 pores on each side of lower jaw

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Brook Trout
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Brook Trout

• Has an elongated and compressed body
• squared-tail
• wormlike markings on back and head
• red spots along the side of their bodies with
  blue halos.
• Lower fins have a white leading edge, followed by
  a black border

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Brown Trout
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Brown Trout

• X shaped markings on back and upper half of
  their body
• squared tail
• numerous small spots on the head
• inside of the mouth is white
• 10-12 anal rays

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Rainbow Trout
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Rainbow Trout

• Many small spots on the body
• Distinctive pink horizontal stripe down each side
  of the body
• squared tail with spots
• 10-12 anal rays

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Lake Trout
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Lake Trout

• Silvery color with irregular wormlike markings on
  back and dorsal fin
• Light spots in body and tail
• deeply forked tail with spots on edge leading to
  the body
• 10-11 rays in their anal fin
• inside of mouth is white

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Chinook Salmon
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Chinook Salmon

• Some black spots on upper half of body
• grey-black mouth, with teeth set in black gums
• squared tail with spots on both halves
• 15-19 anal rays

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Coho Salmon
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Coho Salmon

• Small black spots on backs, sides above the
  lateral line, base of dorsal fin, and upper half
  of caudal fin.
• Inside of mouth is grey or black, with teeth set
  in white gums
• Slightly forked tail
• 12-15 anal rays

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Lake Sturgeon
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Lake Sturgeon

• Torpedo-shaped body, turned up tail
• Resembles a shark
• Five rows of shell-shaped plates along back
• notochord instead of backbone
• Mouth is on underside of body with barbels

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Channel Catfish
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Channel Catfish

• Scaleless, tough skin
• 8 barbels
• Three sharp spines, (1 dorsal, 2 pectoral)
• Black spots on lower side of body
• Deeply forked caudal fin

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Flathead Catfish
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Flathead Catfish

• Scaleless, tough skin
• 8 barbels
• Three sharp spines, (1 dorsal, 2 pectoral)
• No spots on lower side of body
• squared caudal fin
• flattened head
• lower lip protrudes past upper lip

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Yellow Bullhead
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Yellow Bullhead

• Black, Brown or Yellow species
• Scaleless, tough skin
• 6 barbels
• Sharp spines (1 dorsal, 2 pectoral)
• Caudal fin is slightly notched and squared

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Carp
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Carp

• Rough fish
• Very scaly
• Barbels
• Much like a sucker