7621

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7621
• Author: Woodling, J.
• Title: Colorado's Little Fish
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: A Guide to the Minnows and Other Lesser Known Fishes in the State of Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

Current Status of Colorado Fish Species
Alteration of the physical and chemical
habitat of Colorado waters has been so ex-
tensive that four minnow species have
disappeared from the state (Table 2).
Although reported from the Arkansas or
South Platte in the past, recent work has
failed to find any of these species in either
river system (Goettl 1980, Propst 1982,
Miller 1983). These fish are not included
in this book. Also excluded are fish
species for which there is reason to doubt
that the fish were ever actually found in
Colorado, although some investigators
have reported these species. (Table 2).
Of the 50 species of fish included in this
book, 12 are extremely limited in range
or numbers (Table 1-page 1). Rare species
are noted in the table by an asterisk in
front of the common name. Of these fish,
four; the northern redbelly dace, southern
redbelly dace, plains minnow, and river
shiner-all found in eastern plains
streams-are extremely rare in Colorado.
Only one or two specimens of each of
these four species have been collected in
Colorado since 1980. Four other species;
the common shiner, Rio Grande sucker,
Iowa darter and Arkansas darter, are found
in only a few isolated locales. Most of
these species require cool, clear,
permanently-flowing waters. The number
of stream segments with this type of
habitat has continually been diminished
on the eastern plains during the last 120
years. Currently, parts of the Republican
River Drainage, Plum Creek south of
Denver and portions of the St. Vrain, the
Poudre River and some other streams in
the transition zone from mountains to
plains provide refuges for these species.
These river segments are situated in
locales which are not heavily impacted by
man's activities. If these remaining areas
are dewatered or polluted in the future,
these species too could disappear from
Colorado.
Another group, the Colorado squawfish,
the bonytail, the humpback chub and
razorback sucker ("Big River" fishes) are
found rarely on the West Slope of Col-
orado. Restricted to the mainstem por-
tions of the Colorado, White, Yampa, and
Green rivers, these species have become
rare for several reasons, including de-
watering, river channel blockage, and
lower water temperatures due to reservoir
construction (Behnke and Benson 1980).
Because many potential bait species
are extremely uncommon and others are
reduced in distribution, care should be
taken in harvesting bait fish for commer-
cial harvest or personal use. There are ten
species of fish in Colorado which are
abundant enough to be harvested as bait
fish (Table 3).
Except for the flannelmouth and
bluehead suckers, these species can be
collected in most rivers and streams of
eastern Colorado and many are now pre-
sent in western slope waters of the state.
Two species, the golden shiner, and the
Table 2
FISH SPECIES REPORTED FROM COLORADO IN PAST STUDIES
A. Extirpated Species
Hornyhead chub ..............................Nocomis biguttatus
Blacknose shiner ............................. Notropis heterolepis
Lake chub .................................. Couesius plumbeus
Arkansas River Speckled Chub ..................Hybopsis aestiualis
B. Species of fish reported to be in Colorado but for which there are no exist-
ing specimens in collections.
Quillback ................................... Carpiodes cyprinus
Northern redhorse ..................... Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Finescale dace ...............................Phoxinus neogaeus
Silver chub ................................. Hybopsis storeriana
Table 3
SPECIES ABUNDANT ENOUGH FOR USE AS BAIT FISH IN COLORADO
White sucker ............................ Catostomus commersoni
Longnose sucker ......................... Catostomus catostomus
Flannelmouth sucker ........................ Catostomus latipinnis
Bluehead sucker .......................... Catostomus discobolus
Creek chub ............................. Semotilus atromaculatus
Fathead minnow ............................ Pimephales promelas
Golden shiner ........................... Notemigonus crysoleucas
Red shiner .................................... Notropis lutrensis
Sand shiner ................................. Notropis stramineus-
Bigmouth shiner ............................... Notropis dorsalis
fathead minnow are suitable for pond
culture to produce bait minnows.
Minnows and suckers are excellent bait
for the many species of fish sought by
fishermen in Colorado. A knowledge of
these bait fish provides the basis for a
fisherman to gather bait for personal use,
or any individual, with the ability to
harvest bait fish, to begin retail or whole-
sale business endeavors. Before using live
fish as bait, or attempting to build a
business involving sale of bait fish, all
individuals should contact a representa-
tive of the Colorado Division of Wildlife
and/or read current fishing season infor-
mation. For example, the use of live
minnows is prohibited in many areas of
Colorado and a commercial fishing
license is required of anyone harvesting
and/or selling bait fish. The remainder of
this book will help identify bait fish of Col-
orado and describe each species in detail.
Colorado's Little Fish