Freshwater Fish of Canada

Canada has around 200 species of freshwater fish,and approximately 800 marine species. Freshwater fishing in Canada is widely acknowledged as among the best fishing in the world, as the crystal clear waters of the north remain relatively untouched.

There is far too much data available on the web already about fishing in Canada for us to repeat it here. You can get an excellent start for fishing information at Freshwater Fishing Canada.

If you don't think our fishing is that good, just ask the local experts!

In keeping with the theme of our website however, we are happy to provide you with a list of the Endangered Freshwater Fish species in Canada.

Endangered Freshwater Fish of Canada

According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, there are currently 543 plant and animal species at risk in Canada. The following information is from the Species At Risk Act (SARA) dated 2006-05-08.

Endangered

• Atlantic Salmon (Inner Bay of Fundy populations)
• Atlantic Whitefish
• Aurora Trout
• Benthic & Limnetic Enos Lake Stickleback
• Benthic & Limnetic Paxton Lake Stickleback
• Benthic & Limnetic Vananda Creek Stickleback
• Coho Salmon
• Copper Redhorse
• Lake Sturgeon (Nelson, Saskatchewan, Red, Assiniboine, Winnipeg, English river populations)
• Lake Sturgeon (Hudson’s Bay populations)
• Misty Lake Lentic & Lotic Stickleback
• Morrison Creek Lamprey
• Nooksack Dace
• Northern Madtom
• Pugnose Shiner
• Redside Dace
• Salish Sucker
• Shortnose Cisco
• Sockeye Salmong (Sakinaw and Cultus populations)
• White Sturgeon

Threatened

• Eastslope Sculpin
• Black Redhorse
• Carmine Shiner
• Channel Darter
• Chinook Salmon (Okanagan population)
• Cultus Pygmy Sculpin
• Eastern Sand Darter
• Lake Chubsucker
• Lake Sturgeon (Great Lakes-Upper St Lawrence populations)
• Lake Utopia Dwarf Smelt
• Shorthead Sculpin
• Shortjaw Cisco
• Spotted Gar
• Striped Bass (Southern Gulf of St Lawrence & Bay of Fundy populations)
• Vancouver Lamprey
• Western Silvery Minnow
• Western Cutthroat Trout (Alberta populations)

Special Concern

• American Eel
• Banded Killifish
• Bering Cisco
• Bigmouth Buffalo
• Blackstripe Topminnow
• Bridle Shiner
• Charlotte Unarmoured Stickleback
• Chestnut Lamprey
• Columbia Sculpin
• Deepwater Sculpin
• Giant Stickleback
• Grass Pickerel
• Green Sturgeon
• Lake Sturgeon (Southern Hudson’s Bay, James Bay, Lake of the Woods, Rainy River populations)
• Northern Brook Lamprey
• Orangespotted Sunfish
• Pugnose Minnow
• Redbreast Sunfish
• River Redhorse
• Shortnose Sturgeon
• Silver Chub
• Silver Shiner
• Spotted Sucker
• Spring Cisco
• Squanga Whitefish
• Umatilla Dace
• Upper Great Lakes Kiyi
• Warmouth
• Westslope Cutthroat Trout (BC population)