List of Fish Species in Lake Tahoe (Updated)

Lake Tahoe is an old, deep lake formed millions of years ago by geologic activity and melting glaciers. The water is extremely clear because a substantial amount of the water entering the lake is pure rainwater, not runoff from the land which often contains particles and sediment. Most runoff entering the lake from the ground is filtered through wetlands which clarify the water and trap sediments.

A website dedicated to Lake Tahoe and its amenities even has a live feed of this spectacular lake which can be found here. Seasonal events are hosted at event sites around the lake, including fireworks for the 4^th of July and New Year’s, Christmas festivals and celebrations, and summer concerts. The lake is also home to several casinos, breweries, and dining locations. The lake is gorgeous, and there is plenty to do for adults, kids, and the whole family.

Lake Tahoe Fish Species

1) Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This first species is split between two groups based on migration habits: steelhead salmon and rainbow trout. The former makes the traditional salmon migrate to the ocean, whereas the latter remains landlocked or otherwise trapped in freshwater bodies. Lake Tahoe does not drain into the ocean so anglers will only find rainbow trout here, which is one of North America’s most ubiquitous and popular sportfish.

This species is easily recognizable by the rose-colored stripe running down this fish’s sides. While it can be found worldwide, O. mykiss is only native to the west coast, coastal Alaska, and parts of eastern Russia. This salmon is a large species with an average length of around 24 inches (60 cm).

Prey items for young O. mykiss include invertebrates and algae. Anadromous individuals spend about 1 to 3 years in their natal streams before going to the ocean, but in this case, the young fish never travel out to sea. Instead, adults migrate into rivers to reproduce.

Rainbow trout are a popular target for fly fishers and can be successfully fished from the shore. In addition, a popular local activity at Lake Tahoe is the Tahoe Trout Farm where kids can try their hand at angling various species of trout. Anglers may take up to five trout from Lake Tahoe.

2) Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

The brook trout is a dark trout species with large eyes and fewer, if any, black spots. Instead, the brook trout is often dotted with light-colored spots and vertical, dark bars. Like most other introduced trout species, the brook trout was commonly stocked into lakes and reservoirs in the 1880s.

Calm, quiet areas fed by cool mountain streams are the perfect habitat for this trout. Larger lakes like Lake Tahoe also make decent habitats. Brook trout are generalist carnivores, meaning they will consume anything alive and small enough to fit into their mouths. In addition to competing with native trout for habitat and resources, the brook trout sometimes hybridizes with rainbow trout to produce a sterile hybrid.

Anglers should target brook trout in the summer. Small lures and worms make great bait options. Anglers may take up to five trout from Lake Tahoe.

3) Brown trout (Salmo trutta)

The brown trout can be distinguished from the rainbow trout by the presence of lighter halos around its dark spots; rainbow trout lack these halos. This trout species is another popular sport fish introduced in the 1880s and is routinely stocked in American rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, including Lake Tahoe.

This trout species prefers slower rivers and lakes than other trout and are nocturnal predators of crayfish and other large invertebrates. They spawn in the fall and winter with migratory tendencies similar to the rainbow trout.

Adult brown trout measure 12 to 20 inches (30 – 50 cm) on average. Anglers may take up to five trout from Lake Tahoe.

4) Mackinaw trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

The lake trout, or mackinaw trout as they are locally known, are large, deep-water trout with dark bodies and light spots. The bellies and fins of mature adults are red, while the leading edge of each fin is white. This species of trout is giant, with adults capable of reaching lengths over 39 inches (100 cm) and weights up to 72 pounds (32.7 kg). As a result, they are popular among anglers at Lake Tahoe. One of the largest sportfish caught at Lake Tahoe was a mackinaw trout.

Trolling and large jigs can be used to target mackinaw trout in the depths. This species is known to be a more relaxed catch, with some individuals being dragged onto a boat without an intense fight. Their piscivorous diet often consists of other trout or salmon species like the kokanee salmon, so baits suiting this diet may improve an angler’s luck in catching one.

Anglers may take up to five trout from Lake Tahoe, only two of which may be mackinaw trout.

5) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The United States’ most popular sportfish is the largemouth bass. Their high popularity among sport fishers led this eastern United States native to become introduced and widely distributed throughout the country. Largemouth bass are large sunfish, but their common name refers more to the size of their mouths and their capacity to consume large prey items than their size. On average, a largemouth bass reaches around 16 inches (40 cm), but they can grow to be up to 38 inches (97 cm).

As largemouth bass prefer transparent bodies of water, Lake Tahoe is perfect thanks to its crystal clear waters with abundant submerged vegetation, which provides ample hunting ground and cover for these fish. This species will hide amongst aquatic plants to ambush unsuspecting prey items. Such prey items might include other fish, amphibians, leeches, insects, small mammals, and birds.

When fishing for largemouth bass, live bait works best. Potential bait items might include smaller sunfish or native shad. Anglers should target areas near aquatic weed beds for largemouth bass. At Lake Tahoe, anglers are allowed to take up to five largemouth bass per day with a minimum size of 12 inches (30 cm).

6) Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)

The brown bullhead is a small bullhead, approximately 9.8 inches (25 cm) in length, and has a superficially similar appearance to yellow and black bullheads, but possesses a mottled pattern toward the caudal fin. There are also spots on its fins. All barbels on a brown bullhead are dusky or dark colored. Another distinguishing characteristic is the presence of saw-like teeth on the rear edge of their pectoral spines.

This species does not tolerate fast-flowing water and is typically found in rivers, lakes, and ponds with soft substrates. They tolerate pollution, anoxic conditions, and elevated water temperatures. One strategy they employ to avoid bad water conditions is to bury themselves in the mud until adverse conditions have passed.

During the mating season, both sexes participate in nest building and parental care, which involves protecting the eggs from predators and fanning the eggs to maintain optimal oxygen conditions. Once hatched, young brown bullheads eat insects and insect larvae, while adults focus on fish, large invertebrates, and fish eggs. There is no bag limit on bullheads.

7) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)

The common name “crappie” refers to fish in the genus Pomoxis. Species within this genus are distinguished from other sunfish species by spiny gill covers. Lake Tahoe is home to the black crappie.

Black crappies inhabit clear water and prefer areas with abundant submerged aquatic vegetation. This species is a popular sportfish for new anglers because they are easy to catch compared to other large sportfish. Black crappies can be fished using a variety of rigs and strategies like classic bobbers and spider rigging. Black crappies are predators that hunt for small fish and invertebrates at dawn and dusk, so targeting them during this window might be a good idea.

Black crappies are nest spawners. Male black crappies construct a nest in the sediment of a water body for females to deposit their eggs. Males exhibit short periods of parental care, protecting eggs laid by females in the male’s nest for around five days.

Anglers may take up to 25 sunfish from Lake Tahoe per day.

8) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

The bluegill is another stunning sunfish with a greyish-brown colored body and fins tipped with blue and orange. Unfortunately, they are no longer a popular sportfish in Montana because they stay small and, as a result, are no longer routinely stocked. However, unlike other piscivorous sunfish, the bluegill does not accumulate as many toxic metals and is, therefore, safer to eat. Like the other small sunfish species, they are primarily insectivorous but will also consume snails, worms, and small fish.

Spawning occurs in warm water between May and July. As is characteristic of sunfish, the male will guard the nest until the eggs hatch. Male bluegill tend to be particularly aggressive during the breeding season, and while they are not dangerous, they will try to attack swimmers if they come too close to the nest.

Anglers may take up to 25 sunfish from Lake Tahoe per day.

9) Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Goldfish are known as those cute, small, and often vibrant golden-colored carps you find at local pet stores, but in the wild, these species are quite different. Most aquarium-store goldfish are juveniles, usually only measuring a few inches in length. By comparison, adult goldfish can easily reach lengths of over 12 inches (30 cm), often longer than the single-gallon fishbowls they are usually kept in by misinformed pet owners. Sometimes, when goldfish outgrow these small containers, pet owners seek to release them into the wild instead of rehoming them.

This decision can have adverse impacts on local environments. Goldfish are large, long-lived, and consume lots of biomass. In turn, they produce a lot of waste and can drastically reduce the water quality of the lakes and ponds they are introduced to. Their diet is varied: insects, plants, snails, and other fish. In addition, they can tolerate low water quality conditions better than many native American fish. These qualities contribute to the goldfish’s ability to be one of the worst invasive species in the world.

Anglers at Lake Tahoe may be surprised to reel in a giant golden carp, but it does happen.

10) Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Lake Tahoe is landlocked, meaning its water does not drain into the ocean. As a result, all salmon species in the lake cannot migrate to the Pacific Ocean to spawn. So, all sockeye salmon present in Lake Tahoe are considered kokanee salmon or kokanee trout, terms used to denote the landlocked form of this species. Kokanee salmon are among the smallest salmon species, at around 18 inches (45 cm) in length on average.

For most of their life span, kokanee salmon are silver-colored fish with some blue coloration, especially along their backs. However, during the spawning season, the body of this species turns a vibrant red color while their heads and fins are green or olive.

At Lake Tahoe, kokanee salmon have been intentionally introduced as a sportfish or as a forage fish for more desirable sportfish. Kokanee salmon form schools deep in the water, so using tools like fish finders to track down these groups of fish is helpful. Once a school is found, sinking baits can help anglers target fish at the correct depth.

The daily bag limit for landlocked salmon is 5 per day at Lake Tahoe.

11) Tahoe sucker (Catostomus tahoensis)

The Tahoe sucker is a native of Lake Tahoe. This species of fish belongs to the bottom-dwelling group of fish known as Catostomidae; a group characterized as having a downward-facing mouth so they can root around in the substrate for food. Their diet includes worms, insects, and small crustaceans. Tahoe suckers are mottled brown fish, sometimes with a bright red stripe running down their sides.

This species loves large lakes, making Lake Tahoe a Tahoe sucker paradise. This species is abundant throughout the lake and connected rivers, with the majority of Tahoe suckers inhabiting shallow shoreline areas. They spawn from April to August. Tahoe suckers do not construct nests and leave their eggs dispersed among the substrate.

While Tahoe suckers are not necessarily sought-after sportfish at Lake Tahoe, they can be used as live bait if caught.

12) Speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus)

Many predatory fish in Lake Tahoe demand a sizeable population of prey items to support their numbers. The speckled dace is one such prey item. This small fish, with adults around 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) in length, is usually brown with a mottled pattern and a slight orange tinge to its fins. They can be found in various habitats in the American west, from sluggish lakes to swift streams.

Speckled daces eat small invertebrates and algae, using their small barbels to sense prey items in the substrate. During their spawning season, which occurs twice a year in the spring and the summer, adults form groups and spawn over the substrate, leaving their young behind.

At Lake Tahoe, anglers might be able to catch a few speckled dace to use as bait for large game fish.

13) Lahontan redside (Richardsonius egregius)

Another small minnow species found at Lake Tahoe is the Lahontan redside. They are similar in appearance and size to the speckled dace, although breeding adults of this species develop vibrant red stripes on their sides, a trait that gives them their name.

Populations of this fish are distributed throughout habitats by age class. Juveniles inhabit the shallower edges of the stream where smaller insects are abundant, while adults will occur more often in open water. The Lahontan redside breeding season lasts from May to August, and, like the speckled dace, adults form groups above spawning substrates where they deposit their eggs. Redsides do not give any parental care to their offspring.

Lahontan redsides are an essential food source for many predatory fish species like the Tahoe sucker and brown trout. As a result, they are a critical part of the ecosystem where they occur.

14) Tui chub (Siphateles bicolor)

Tui chub are relatives of other carp and minnows like the Lahontan redside and the speckled dace. However, these fish grow much larger than these species, regularly reaching lengths around 5 inches (12 cm). Collectively, the tui chub is not endangered, but there are two subspecies with severely declining populations: the Owens and Mohave tui chub.

Two forms of tui chub specialize in different habitat types. One form prefers to hang around the bottom of lakes and streams, while another prefers open water. Tui chub form schools as a predator defense and are tolerant to various habitat conditions.

The tui chub is not endangered as a species, but the population in Lake Tahoe is under threat. Subspecies like the Lahontan Lake tui chub (S. b. pectinifer) are threatened by habitat destruction and degradation, logging, and invasive species, leading to steep population declines.

15) Paiute sculpin (Cottus beldingi)

Sculpins are interesting fish with giant mouths and wide, fan-like pectoral fins. When captured, they will expand their fins, puff out their gill covers, and open their mouths to appear menacing to potential predators. Despite their attempt at looking dangerous, sculpins are harmless, and this species is relatively small—usually around 2 inches (4 cm).

The Paiute sculpin sticks towards the bottom of lakes and rivers, hunting in the detritus for aquatic insects and crustaceans. While there is little information about the Paiute sculpin specifically, all sculpins are salt-tolerant and can survive in various harsh conditions. Like other small bottom dwellers, sculpins predate small aquatic insects, worms, and crustaceans.

This species is not commonly used as a bait fish and is not a sport fish, although they are a unique and exciting find if an angler manages to pull one up.