California Fish Species

Return to Main Fish Species by Location

Fish Species by Watershed : Russian Watershed

California Roach

  • Lavinia symmetricus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. California roach. Captured from the Gualala River. Photo by Carl Page, ARS Consulting.

Chinook Salmon

  • Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Chinook salmon. Spring-run Chinook salmon (female spawner) swimming in Butte Creek, CA on 14 September 2006. Photo - Lisa Thompson, UC Davi

Coastrange Sculpin

  • Cottus aleuticus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Coastrange sculpin, approx. 85 mm (3.5

Coho Salmon

  • Oncorhynchus kisutch
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Coho salmon fry taken by Lisa Thompson. Location: Shasta River, California. Date: 4/13/2004. Fish was approximately 6.5 cm long (2.5”).

Hardhead

  • Mylopharodon conocephalus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Hardhead, adult, right side. Location: Center for Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture, UC Davis. Date: 17 May 2007. Photo by Dave Giordano.

Hitch

  • Lavinia exilicauda
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Hitch adult. Photo courtesy of Professor Peter B. Moyle.

Longfin Smelt

  • Spirinchus thaleichthys
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Longfin smelt, male, 141 mm FL. Photographed on March 7, 2008 at the Tracy Fish Collection Facility, Tracy, CA. Photo by René Reyes, USBR.

Pacific Lamprey

  • Lampetra tridentata
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Pacific lamprey, captured in rotary screw trap on Sacramento River at Knight's Landing. Photo by Dan Worth, CDFW.

Pacific Staghorn Sculpin

  • Leptocottus armatus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Pacific staghorn sculpin caught in Suisun Marsh, CA on 20 August 2008. Photo by Amber Manfree.

Prickly Sculpin

  • Cottus asper
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Prickly sculpin, approximately 10 cm (4”) long. Location: Suisun Marsh, California. Date: 8/6/2007. Photo by Dave Giordano.

Rainbow Trout and/or Steelhead Trout

  • Oncorhynchus mykiss
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Rainbow trout, 18 cm (7”) long. Location: Deer Creek, California (Yuba River basin). Date: 6/21/2007. Photo by Dave Giordano.

Riffle Sculpin

  • Cottus gulosus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Riffle sculpin, side view. Location: South Fork American River. Date: 5 May 2010. Photo by Lisa C. Thompson.

River Lamprey

  • Lampetra ayresi
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. River lamprey, captured in rotary screw trap on Sacramento River at Knight's Landing. Photo by Dan Worth, CDFW.

Sacramento Blackfish

  • Orthodon microlepidotus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Sacramento blackfish, caught in the San Joaquin river near Stockton on 11/11/08. Photo by Steve Reem.

Sacramento Perch

  • Archoplites interruptus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Sacramento perch, adult male. Captured from Sindicich Lagoon, Martinez, California in May 2001. Photo by Chris Miller, Contra Costa MVCD.

Sacramento Pikeminnow

  • Ptychocheilus grandis
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Sacramento pikeminnow, juvenile. Location: Deer Creek California (Yuba River basin). Date: 6/20/2007. Photo by Dave Giordano.

Sacramento Sucker

  • Catostomus occidentalis
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Sacramento sucker, adult, caught in Putah Creek, California on 26 June 2008 by Teejay O'Rear. Photo by Amber Manfree.

Shiner Perch

  • Cymatogaster aggregata
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Shiner perch, captured from Edison Canal, Ventura County, CA on 15 December 2005. Photo by Steve Howard.

Starry Flounder

  • Platichthys stellatus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Starry flounder, juvenile, approximately 7.5 cm (3”) long. Location: Suisun Marsh, California. Date: 8/8/2007. Photo by Dave Giordano.

Surf Smelt

  • Hypomesus pretiosus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Surf smelt. Location: Eureka Slough, Humboldt Bay, CA. Date: 2004. Photo by Mike Wallace, CDFW.

Threespine Stickleback

  • Gasterosteus aculeatus
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Threespine stickleback (armored). Location: Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Date: 16 April 2011. Photo by Christopher Mosser, UC Davis.

Tidewater Goby

  • Eucyclogobius newberryi
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Tidewater goby. Captured from Big Lagoon, CA, on 5/9/2006, Size: approximately 45 mm long. Photo by Zack Larson, USFWS.

Topsmelt

  • Atherinops affinis
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Topsmelt, captured from the Santa Clara River Estuary, Ventura County, CA on 28 March 2004. Photo by Steve Howard.

Tule Perch

  • Hysterocarpus traski
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Tule perch, 13 cm (5”) long. Location: Suisun March. Date: 8/6/2007. Photo by Dave Giordano.

Western Brook Lamprey

  • Lampetra richardsoni
  • Native Species

  • Thumbnail. Western brook lamprey. Location: Prairie Creek, CA. Date: 2011. Photo by Michael Sparkman, CDFW.

If you don't see your fish in this list of native species, your fish may be a non-native. Click here to see a list of non-native species found in California.