Freshwater Fish of Tidewater Virginia

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The sunfish family (Centrarchidae) includes the following species of fish native to Virginia. Among them are bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, white crappie and other species.

Largemouth bass are one of the most familiar freshwater fish in Virginia. They are heavy bodied fish, instantly recognized by their mottled green sides, enormous mouth and plump bellies. They live in shallow water habitats, among reeds, water lilies and other vegetation, sharing habitats with species such as sunfish, yellow perch and catfish. Largemouth bass eat minnows and practically any other available fish species including their own.

Smallmouth are shaped similar to largemouth but tend to be smaller and favor slightly different habitats. The smallmouth bass derives its name from the fact that the rear end of the lower jaw does not extend past the eye, while that of a largemouth does. The usual smallmouth seen by Virginia anglers is 8 to 15 inches long, and weighs less than three pounds.

Bluegill sunfish are the most common panfish in Virginia. They are members of the same family as largemouth and smallmouth bass (Centrarchidae). These colorful fish are well adapted to living in ponds, lakes, streams and even brackish water. Bluegill usually have a a black flexible tip on the gill cover. The gill cover is bright blue, giving the bluegill its name. The back and sides are dark green or brownish which is contrasted by a yellow, red or orange breast. Males in the breeding season have a dark red to mahogany colored breast. The sides of the fish usually display a series of vertical bars. Bluegill typically reach lengths of 7-9 inches.

Pumpkinseed are another Virginia sunfish. Like bluegill, they are very deep-bodied. They are known for being one of the most colorful freshwater fish of North America, with males during the breeding season being the most colorful of all. Pumpkinseed have an orange or reddish breast and belly and its back and sides are brown to olive green, speckled with orange, yellow, blue, and green spots. The speckling of the flanks is interspersed with 7-8 dark vertical bands and narrow wavy stripes.

Pumpkinseed can be found in shallow areas with cool to warm water. They common in farm ponds, small lakes and weedy bays of larger bodies of fresh water. They are also found in upper reaches of creeks and rivers. They associate with cover such as aquatic vegetation or submerged brush and are seldom found in open water. Pumpkinseed sometimes show a preference for a home range. When fish are captured and moved to a different part of a pond or lake, a significant percentage of them will return to their original location.

Black crappie and white crappie are found in Virginia. The two fish are similar, with bodies having patterns of speckled black, silver, green and white. Crappie are typically pan sized, although they sometimes exceed 12 inches. Both species of crappie are well adapted to living in ponds, lakes, streams and non-tidal reaches of rivers. Crappie are strong fighters, beautiful fish and delicious as table fare. Maribou jigs are an old school favorite lure for crappie. They also bite readily on live minnows and other small baits.

Yellow perch are a popular fresh and brackish water fish of the region. Yellow perch are members of the perch family, which have a dorsal fin that is divided into separate spiny and soft-rayed portions. They are easily recognized by their orange fins and a body marked with vertical bars of alternating brown and yellow. Anglers target perch in the early spring when the fish school up before spawning. Yellow perch are caught all season, even in the winter. Anglers use bait including minnows, grass shrimp, nightcrawlers or grubs or fish with a variety of small artificial jigs and lures.

The channel catfish is the most abundant of the North American catfish species. They usually weigh 2-4 lbs, occasionally reaching weights of 40 pounds or more. Channel catfish are easily distinguished from other species, except blue catfish, by their deeply forked tail fin. They are olive-brown to slate-blue on the back and sides, with silvery-white on the belly. Channel cats can be caught using a variety of natural and prepared baits including crickets, nightcrawlers, minnows, shad, crawfish, frogs, sunfish, suckers and "stinkbaits".

Blue catfish are the largest Virginia catfish. They grow faster and live longer than channel catfish. Blue catfish grow to over 55 inches long and can weigh over than 100 pounds, living 20-25 years. Adult blue catfish have stout bodies with prominently humped back in front of the dorsal fin. They have deeply forked tails similar to channel catfish, but lack spots and have a large straight edged anal fin. The back and upper sides are blue to slate gray, and the lower sides and belly are white. Blue catfish are primarily large-river fish, occurring in the James and Rappahannock river systems. When fishing for trophy catfish anglers use live baits including herring, perch, large shiners or other bait fish.