West Virginia’s waters are blessed with a variety of fish resources, including 178 species and 3 hybrid sport
fishes distributed among 24 different families. Interestingly, approximately 20 percent are sport fishes, 80%
are nongame fishes and 75% are found in just five families: (60-species) of carps and minnows, (31) perch, (18)
suckers, (14) bass and sunfish and (12) catfish. The list of fishes that follows is a compilation of the
presently known species in West Virginia and the watersheds where they are generally found. This list was
generated from the Fishes of WV: A Field Checklist available from DNR's Natural Heritage Program.
The abbreviations are for the greater Ohio (O), New (N), Potomac (P) and James (J) river watersheds. The drainage
indicated does not necessarily mean that the fish is found in all minor or major tributaries. Different habitat
preferences will dictate where the fishes will be located. Note: (R) indicates rare, uncommon,
undetermined status or limited range.
- Catostomidae - (O) Bigmouth buffalo R; Black buffalo R; Black redhorse; Blue suckerR; Highfin
carpsucker R; Longnose sucker R; Quillback; River carpsucker; River redhorse; Silver redhorse; Smallmouth
buffalo; Spotted sucker; (P) Creek chubsucker; (OP) Shorthead redhorse; (NOP) Golden redhorse; Torrent sucker;
(JNOP) Northern hog sucker; White sucker
- Centrarchidae - (O) Orange spotted sunfish; Redear sunfish; Warmouth; (NO) Spotted bass; (NOP)
Black crappie; White crappie; Longear sunfish; (JNOP) Pumpkinseed; Redbreast sunfish; Bluegill; Green sunfish;
Largemouth bass; Rock bass; Smallmouth bass
- Clupeidae - (O) Gizzard shad; Skipjack herring; Threadfin shad; (NO) Alewife
- Cottidae - (N) Banded sculpin R; Bluestone sculpin; (P) Potomac sculpin; Slimy sculpin R;
(JNOP) Mottled sculpin
- Cyprinidae - (O) Bigmouth chub; Kanawha minnow R; New River shiner R; Rudd minnow; (N) Bigeye
chub; Bighead carp; Bigmouth shinerR; Bullhead minnow R; Central stoneroller; Channel shiner; Cheat minnow R;
Comely shiner; Ghost shiner; Mississippi silvery minnow R; Popeye Shiner R; Pugnose minnow R; Redfin shiner;
Redside dace R; River shiner; Rosefin shiner R; Silver chub; Southern redbelly dace; Speckled chub; Steelcolor
shiner; Suckermouth minnow; (P) Eastern silvery minnow R; Fallfish; Satinfin shiner R; Swallowtail shiner; (JN)
Bluehead chub; Mountain redbelly dace; (NO) Mimic shiner; Sand shiner; Silver shiner; Silverjaw minnow;
Streamline chub; Striped shiner; Tonguetied minnow R; White shiner; Whitetail shiner; (OP) Pearl dace R; (JNO)
Blueside shiner R; Telescope shiner; (JNP) Cutlips minnow; (JOP) River chub; Common shiner; (NOP) Bluntnose
minnow; Emerald shiner; Fathead minnow; Goldfish; Grass carp; Spotfin shiner; Spottail shiner; (JNOP) Blacknose
dace; Common carp; Creek chub; Golden shiner; Longnose dace; Rosyface shiner; Rosyside dace
- Esocidae - (O) Grass pickerel; (P) Redfin pickerel R; (NP) Chain pickerel; (OP) Northern
pike; (NOP) Hybrid tiger musky; Muskellunge
- Fundulidae - (O) Northern studfish; (P) Mummichog; (OP) Banded killifish R
- Ictaluridae - (O) Brindled madtom; Mountain madtom R; Northern madtom R; White catfish; Blue
catfish R; (NO) Black bullhead; Flathead catfish; Stonecat; (NOP) Brown bullhead; Yellow bullhead; (JOP)
Margined madtom; (JNOP) Channel catfish
- Percichthyidae - (O) White perch; (NO) Striped bass; White bass; (NOP) Hybrid striped bass
- Percidae - (O) Stripeback darter R; (J) Appalachia darter R; Snub-nosed darter; Candy darter
R; (N) Banded darter; Blackside darter; Bluebreast darter; Channel darter; Crystal darter R; Dusky darter;
Eastern sand darter; Gilt darter R; Longhead darter R; Sauger; Slenderhead darter; Spotted darter R; River
darter R; Tippecanoe darter; Variegate darter; (P) Longfin darterR; Shield darter; Tessellated darter; (JN)
Roanoke darter; (NO) Logperch; Sharpnose darter; (JNO) Johnny darter; (NOP) Greenside darter; Rainbow darter;
Walleye; Yellow perch; (JNOP) Fantail darter
- Petromyzontidae - (O) American brook lamprey; Northern brook lamprey; Mountain brook lamprey; Ohio
lamprey R; Silver lamprey R; (NO) Least brook lamprey
- Salmonidae - (P) Cutthroat trout; (JNOP) Brook trout; Brown trout; Golden trout; Rainbow trout