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Michigan › Fishing › Common Fish Species

Common Fish Species

Bluegill

Illustration of a bluegill sunfish with detailed fin and scale markings, commonly found in Michigan's inland lakes and slow-moving streams.
Bluegill sunfish illustration showcasing distinct body shape and coloring, a popular species for anglers across Michigan’s inland waters. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Pumpkinseed (Sunfish)

Illustration of a pumpkinseed sunfish with vibrant orange, yellow, and green markings, common in Michigan’s inland lakes and streams.
Pumpkinseed sunfish are a colorful freshwater species found in Michigan lakes and rivers, known for their vibrant patterns and active feeding. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Redear Sunfish

Redear sunfish illustration showing its blue-green body, yellow fins, and red spot on the gill cover, common in Michigan freshwater lakes.
Illustration of a redear sunfish, easily identified by its vibrant green body, yellow-tinged fins, and red spot on the gill plate—commonly found in Michigan lakes. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Rock Bass

Illustration of a rock bass with a deep, oval-shaped body, dark mottled scales, and red eyes—common in Michigan’s inland lakes and streams.
Rock bass are a popular catch in Michigan's inland lakes and streams, known for their red eyes and deep, laterally compressed body shape. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Largemouth Bass

Illustration of a largemouth bass showing its greenish body, large mouth, and dark lateral stripe, common in Michigan freshwater lakes.
Illustration of a largemouth bass, a popular freshwater game fish in Michigan, known for its distinctive jaw and dark horizontal stripe. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Smallmouth Bass

Illustration of a smallmouth bass, a popular Michigan freshwater sport fish, known for its bronze body and red eyes.
Smallmouth bass illustration showcasing the fish’s bronze body, vertical bars, and red eyes—commonly found in Michigan’s cool, clear waters. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

White Crappie

Illustration of a black crappie with speckled sides, deep body, and spiny dorsal fin, commonly found in Michigan’s lakes and slow-moving rivers.
Black crappie illustration showing its speckled body and deep shape—an iconic panfish popular among anglers in Michigan’s freshwater lakes. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Black Crappie

Illustration of a black crappie with dark, speckled scales and deep body—common in Michigan lakes and favored by panfish anglers.
Black crappie illustration showing dark mottled spots and deep body shape—popular among Michigan anglers for freshwater sport fishing. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Yellow Perch

Illustration of a yellow perch with distinct dark vertical bars and golden-yellow body, commonly found in Michigan’s inland and Great Lakes waters.
Yellow perch are a popular sport fish in Michigan, easily recognized by their golden bodies and dark vertical stripes. Found in lakes and slow-moving rivers. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Walleye

Illustration of a walleye fish, showing its sharp dorsal fin and golden body—commonly found in Michigan lakes and rivers.
Walleye fish illustration showing its sharp dorsal fin and golden scales, a popular game fish species in Michigan's inland lakes and rivers. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Northern Pike

Illustration of a northern pike with olive-green body and light spots, a top predator fish species common in Michigan's lakes and rivers.
Northern pike illustration showing its torpedo-shaped body and distinct light spots—an aggressive freshwater game fish found in Michigan waters. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Muskellunge

Illustration of a muskellunge with light vertical bars on a sleek body—an elusive freshwater predator native to Michigan’s lakes and rivers.
Muskellunge (muskie) illustrated with light markings and torpedo-shaped body—an iconic game fish found in Michigan’s lakes and rivers. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish with whisker-like barbels and scattered black spots, commonly found in Michigan’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Illustration of a channel catfish, a popular freshwater game fish in Michigan known for its forked tail, spotted body, and whisker-like barbels. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Flathead Catfish

Flathead catfish illustration showing its broad, flat head and mottled brown coloring, commonly found in Michigan’s freshwater lakes and rivers.
Illustration of a flathead catfish, a common Michigan species known for its broad head and mottled body, often found in rivers and large lakes. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

White Bass

White bass illustration showing its silver body with horizontal black stripes, common in Michigan lakes and rivers.
White bass are a popular sport fish in Michigan, easily recognized by their silver bodies and horizontal black stripes along the sides. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

White Perch

Yellow perch illustration showing elongated body with vertical stripes and spiny dorsal fin, common in Michigan freshwater lakes.
Illustration of a yellow perch, a popular freshwater game fish in Michigan, known for its golden color and vertical dark stripes. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout illustration showing pink lateral stripe and black spots, commonly found in Michigan's coldwater streams and inland lakes.
Rainbow trout are a popular game fish in Michigan, easily recognized by their pink stripe and black spots along the body and tail. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)

Steelhead trout illustration showing streamlined silver body with small black spots and a pinkish stripe, commonly found in Michigan waters.
Steelhead trout are migratory rainbow trout known for their silvery body and spotted tail, commonly found in Michigan’s Great Lakes tributaries. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Brook Trout

Illustration of a colorful brook trout with red belly and white-tipped fins, commonly found in Michigan’s cold, clean freshwater streams.
Brook trout are Michigan’s state fish, known for their vivid coloring and preference for cold, clean streams and rivers across the state. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Brown Trout

Illustration of a brown trout showing distinctive black and red spots, used for identifying common Michigan trout species.
Illustration of a brown trout, a popular Michigan game fish, easily recognized by its golden body and red and black spots along the sides. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Lake Trout

Lake trout illustration showing its long body, deeply forked tail, and light spots along a dark gray to greenish back.
Lake trout illustration highlighting its distinctive light spots and forked tail, a key species in Michigan’s cold-water fisheries. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Splake

Splake trout illustration showing light spots on a dark body with a slightly forked tail, a hybrid of lake trout and brook trout.
Illustration of a splake trout, a hybrid of lake trout and brook trout, featuring light spots and a slightly forked tail. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic salmon illustration with dark spots above the lateral line, a streamlined body, and slightly forked tail.
Atlantic salmon illustration showing a slender body with scattered dark spots and a slightly forked tail, common in Michigan waters. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Pink Salmon

Pink salmon illustration with a slender body, large spots on tail, and distinctive humpback seen in spawning males.
Illustration of a pink salmon, the smallest Pacific salmon species, known for its spotted tail and humped back during spawning. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Chinook “King” Salmon

Chinook salmon illustration showing a large silver body with black spots on the back, dorsal fin, and both lobes of the tail.
Illustration of a Chinook salmon, the largest Great Lakes salmon, identified by its silver body and black spots on its back and tail fin. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon illustration with silver body, dark blue back, and small spots on the upper lobe of the tail and back.
Illustration of a coho salmon, easily identified by its silver sides, dark blue back, and scattered spots on its back and tail fin. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Lake Whitefish

Lake whitefish illustration with silvery scales, small mouth, and forked tail, commonly found in cold freshwater lakes.
Illustration of a lake whitefish, a coldwater species valued for its mild flavor and commonly found in Michigan’s inland lakes and Great Lakes. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Cisco

Cisco fish illustration with slender silver body and forked tail, commonly found in Michigan’s deep, cold freshwater lakes.
Illustration of a cisco, a native coldwater forage fish essential to the Great Lakes ecosystem and prized by anglers across Michigan. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©

Round Whitefish

Illustration of a longnose sucker fish with copper fins and elongated body, commonly found in cold freshwater lakes and rivers.
Longnose sucker fish illustration showcasing its coppery fins and streamlined body—native to Michigan’s cold, clean waters. Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©


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