Fish Species of Utah
Arctic Grayling
Sleek silver-gray fish with a long, sail-like dorsal fin marked by purple and turquoise spots that shimmer in the light.
Bear Lake Cutthroat
Silvery trout with a faint pink stripe and telltale red-orange slash marks under the jaw, native to Bear Lake.
Bear Lake Sculpin
Small, bottom-dwelling fish with a broad head, mottled brown body, and fanlike pectoral fins that blend into rocky lakebeds.
Black Bullhead Catfish
Stocky, dark-brown catfish with a broad, flat head and whisker-like barbels around its mouth.
Black Crappie
Deep-bodied panfish covered in irregular black speckles and a spiny dorsal fin, giving it a checkered look.
Bluegill
Round, olive-green sunfish with a bright blue sheen and a dark “ear” flap on each gill cover.
Bluehead Sucker
Long, torpedo-shaped fish with a bluish-gray head and thick, rubbery lips adapted for scraping algae off rocks.
Bonneville Cisco
Small, silvery minnow-like fish found only in Bear Lake, with a slender body and faint blue shimmer.
Bonneville Cutthroat
Bronze-green trout with scattered black spots and a vivid orange throat slash, Utah’s state fish.
Bonneville Whitefish
Silvery, torpedo-shaped fish with a small mouth and rounded fins, found deep in Bear Lake.
Bonytail Chub
Slender desert fish with a narrow, “bony” tail base and olive-gray back fading to silver sides.
Brook Trout
Dark green fish patterned with worm-like marbling and sprinkled with red spots ringed in blue.
Brown Trout
Golden-brown fish with black and crimson spots and buttery yellow bellies, a classic stream favorite.
Burbot
Long, eel-like fish with mottled olive-brown skin and a single whisker under its chin; the only freshwater cod.
Channel Catfish
Silvery-blue catfish with forked tail and smooth skin, known for its long whiskers and spotted flanks.
Colorado Cutthroat
Vibrant orange-yellow trout with dark spots and a deep crimson slash beneath its jaw.
Common Carp
Large, bronze-gold fish with thick scales and long barbels on each side of its mouth.
Flannelmouth Sucker
Pale brown fish with a thick, flannel-textured lower lip used to feed along river bottoms.
Golden Trout
Bright golden-yellow trout with red bands along its sides and black speckles toward the tail.
Green Sunfish
Compact, deep-bodied fish with emerald flanks, orange fin edges, and a bold, blue-striped face.
Humpback Chub
Gray-green fish with a distinct hump behind its head and a sleek, torpedo-shaped body built for canyon currents.
June Sucker
Silvery-gray native fish with a blunt nose and long, curved body, found mainly in Utah Lake.
Kokanee Salmon
Shiny silver fish that turns brilliant red with a green head during spawning season.
Lake Trout
Deep-water predator with gray-green skin covered in pale, worm-like spots and a deeply forked tail.
Largemouth Bass
Olive-green fish with a gaping mouth and a dark horizontal stripe along each side.
Mottled Sculpin
Small, wide-headed fish with mottled brown camouflage and oversized pectoral fins for gripping rocks.
Mountain Whitefish
Slender, silvery fish with a small mouth and shimmering scales, often found in clear mountain streams.
Northern Pike
Long, lean predator with olive-green sides, light oval spots, and a mouth full of sharp teeth.
Rainbow Trout
Shimmering silver trout with a pink to crimson stripe and small black spots from head to tail.
Razorback Sucker
Large, yellow-olive fish with a distinctive bony hump along its back and a downward-facing mouth.
Redside Shiner
Small, bright minnow with a silver body and a vivid red stripe along its sides during spawning.
Roundtail Chub
Streamlined fish with silvery sides, olive back, and a distinctive rounded tail fin.
Smallmouth Bass
Bronze-green bass with vertical bars on its sides and a smaller mouth than its largemouth cousin.
Speckled Dace
Small, active minnow with tan coloration dotted in dark spots and a forked tail.
Splake
Hybrid of brook and lake trout, dark-bodied with light spots and a slightly forked tail.
Striped Bass
Sleek, silvery fish with bold black horizontal stripes running from gills to tail.
Tiger Muskie
Striking predator with dark, maze-like stripes across a pale green body and a toothy grin.
Tiger Trout
Hybrid trout with a bold, maze-like pattern of dark stripes across a golden-brown body.
Walleye
Olive-gold fish with large, glassy eyes and sharp dorsal spines, glowing in low light.
Western Mosquitofish
Tiny grayish fish with rounded fins and upturned mouth, famous for eating mosquito larvae.
White Bass
Silver-white fish with faint horizontal stripes and a deep, laterally compressed body.
White Crappie
Silvery fish with vertical bars and a long, thin profile compared to its black crappie cousin.
Wiper
Hybrid of striped and white bass, muscular with faint stripes and silvery sides.
Yellow Perch
Golden-yellow fish with six dark vertical bars and orange-tipped fins.
Yellowstone Cutthroat
Golden-yellow trout with black spots concentrated near the tail and a bright red throat slash.