Fish & Shellfish Guide: North America

From farm ponds to the open ocean, every fish and shellfish has its own habits and its own rules. This guide covers the major sport fish and shellfish of North America: bass and panfish, walleye and pike, trout and salmon, saltwater favourites, and crabs, lobster, clams and more. For each one you'll find where it lives, when it's generally in season, and tips and tricks to help you catch it safely.

Seasons here are general, never exact. Openers, size and bag limits, and gear rules differ by state, province and water body, and change every year. Always read the current regulations, and for shellfish check biotoxin closures on the day you harvest.

Find Fish by Region

Choose a region on the map to show only the fish and shellfish found there, or narrow the list by group. Choose the region again to clear it.

Which states and provinces are in each region?

Alaska & the North: Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the boreal north of B.C., the Prairie Provinces, Ontario, Quebec and Labrador.
Pacific Coast: Washington, Oregon, California and coastal and southern B.C.
Rockies & Interior West: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, interior B.C. and western Alberta.
Great Plains & Prairies: the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, most of Texas, the eastern plains of Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, and prairie Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Midwest & Great Lakes: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and southern Ontario.
Northeast & Atlantic Canada: New England, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, southern Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland.
Desert Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and the deserts of southern California and Nevada.
Southeast & Gulf: Virginia and West Virginia south through the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, west to Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and east Texas.

The map is a simple schematic, not to scale. Ranges are general; many species are patchy within a region.

Bass, Panfish & Catfish

Warm-water favourites found in lakes, ponds and rivers across most of the continent.

Largemouth Bass

Lakes, ponds, reservoirs and slow rivers across the U.S. and into southern Canada.

Season: Open year-round in much of the U.S.; some states and provinces close the season or require catch-and-release during the spring spawn.

Fish structure: weed edges, docks, fallen trees and drop-offs.
Topwater lures shine at dawn, dusk and on calm, warm evenings.
In cold water, slow down: slow jigs and soft plastics near the bottom.

Safety: Handle fish with wet hands, support big bass horizontally, and release them quickly. Many lakes have fish consumption advisories, so check before you keep fish to eat.

Smallmouth Bass

Clear, rocky lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, Northeast and upper South, now also in many western rivers and reservoirs.

Season: Many waters are open year-round; northern states and Ontario often open the season in late spring or early summer after the spawn.

Look for rock piles, gravel points, current breaks and shade lines.
Tubes, drop-shot rigs, jerkbaits and crayfish imitations are proven.
In rivers, cast upstream and let your lure drift naturally into eddies.

Safety: River wading: wear a wading belt and a life jacket in current, and watch for slippery ledges.

Crappie, Bluegill & Sunfish (Panfish)

Ponds, lakes and reservoirs almost everywhere south of the boreal forest.

Season: Usually open year-round; the spring spawn in the shallows is the easiest time to catch them.

In spring, fish shallow brush, docks and reed beds where they spawn.
Small jigs or a worm under a bobber are hard to beat; perfect for kids.
In summer and winter, look deeper around brush piles and standing timber.

Safety: Great for first-time and young anglers: everyone wears a life jacket on docks and in boats.

Catfish (Channel, Blue & Flathead)

Rivers, reservoirs and ponds of the Plains, Midwest and South, plus introduced fisheries elsewhere.

Season: Usually open year-round; summer nights are prime time.

Fish at night along current seams, deep holes and channel edges.
Cut bait and prepared stink baits for channel cats; live bait for flatheads; fresh cut shad for blues.
Use a sinker heavy enough to hold the bottom in current.

Safety: Catfish spines can puncture deeply: grip them carefully and carry pliers. On night trips, wear a life jacket and carry lights.

Walleye, Pike & Muskie

The cool-water fish of northern lakes and rivers, and the heart of ice fishing country.

Walleye

Large lakes and rivers of Canada, the Great Lakes, the upper Midwest and the northern Plains, plus western reservoirs.

Season: Many northern states and provinces open walleye season in May after the spawn; ice fishing seasons are hugely popular.

Walleye feed in low light: dawn, dusk, overcast and choppy days.
A jig and minnow, slow trolling with crankbaits, or a live-bait rig all work.
Wind-blown points and shorelines concentrate baitfish, and walleye follow.

Safety: On the ice, check thickness often with a spud bar, carry ice picks, and vent heaters. See Fishing by Environment.

Yellow Perch

Lakes across the North, the Great Lakes and the Northeast.

Season: Often open year-round; a favourite through the ice.

Find the school, then stay on it: perch travel in large groups near the bottom.
Small jigs tipped with minnow heads, waxworms or perch eyes (where legal) work well.

Safety: Good kid-friendly fishing. On ice, stay together and stay off ice that is grey, slushy or near current.

Northern Pike

Weedy lakes and slow rivers across Canada, Alaska and the northern U.S.

Season: Often open year-round in the U.S.; many provinces and northern states have a spring closure during spawning.

Fish weed edges with spoons, spinnerbaits and swimbaits.
Use a steel or heavy fluorocarbon leader; pike teeth cut regular line.
Big pike move to deeper, cooler water in summer.

Safety: Carry long-nose pliers, jaw spreaders and gloves; keep fingers away from the gill rakers.

Muskellunge (Muskie)

Lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes region, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario, Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania and the upper South.

Season: Northern seasons usually open in late spring or early summer and run into late fall.

Known as the fish of 10,000 casts: patience is part of the sport.
Always finish each cast with a figure-eight at the boat; many muskies follow before they strike.
Use heavy tackle so fights are short and releases are quick.

Safety: Release muskies quickly and keep big fish in the water; carry long pliers, cutters and a large net.

Trout, Salmon & Char

Cold, clean water, from mountain streams to the Great Lakes and the Pacific.

Trout (Rainbow, Brown, Brook & Cutthroat)

Cold streams, rivers and lakes almost everywhere, wild or stocked: brook trout are native to the East, cutthroat to the West, and steelhead are sea-run rainbows.

Season: Many streams open in spring with a traditional opener; others are open year-round, sometimes with special rules such as catch-and-release or artificial lures only.

Approach quietly and stay low: trout spook easily in clear water.
Let your bait, lure or fly drift naturally with the current.
Match the hatch: choose flies that look like the insects you see.
Fish early and late in summer, when the water is coolest.

Safety: Wading: use studded or felt-free boots, a wading belt and a staff, and never cross fast water above your knees. Some waters require barbless hooks.

Lake Trout

Deep, cold lakes of Canada, Alaska, the Great Lakes and the northern U.S.

Season: Varies widely; many lakes are open for ice fishing.

In summer, lake trout go deep: troll with downriggers or jig over deep humps.
In spring, fall and through the ice, they come shallower.

Safety: Big cold lakes can turn rough fast: watch the forecast and carry safety gear in your boat.

Pacific Salmon (Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Pink & Chum)

The Pacific coast from California to Alaska, plus stocked chinook and coho in the Great Lakes.

Season: Follows the runs: spring and summer chinook, summer sockeye, and late-summer and fall coho and chinook. Pinks run in odd-numbered years in many southern areas.

In salt water, troll with a flasher and bait or a lure at the depth where the fish are holding.
In rivers, drift eggs, yarn or jigs through the slower water where salmon rest.
Learn to tell the species and hatchery fish apart: many areas only allow hatchery fish, marked by a clipped adipose fin.

Safety: Crowded rivers: keep space between anglers. In Alaska and B.C., bears fish the same streams, so carry bear spray and make noise.

Atlantic Salmon

Rivers of Atlantic Canada and Quebec. In the U.S., wild Atlantic salmon are endangered and can't be fished.

Season: Usually summer into early fall; many rivers are fly-only with strict catch-and-release rules.

Fly fishing only on most rivers: classic wet flies swung across the current.
Hire a guide where required: non-residents need one on many rivers.

Safety: Release fish carefully in the water and let them recover before they swim off.

Arctic Grayling & Arctic Char

Clear rivers and lakes of Alaska and the Canadian North; grayling are also found in parts of Montana.

Season: Mostly the short northern summer.

Grayling rise readily to small dry flies and spinners.
Char take spoons and streamers in lakes and river mouths.

Safety: Remote fly-in trips: carry a satellite communicator, extra food and warm layers for weather delays.

Sturgeon

White sturgeon in the large rivers of the Pacific Northwest and B.C.; lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes region and Canada.

Season: Mostly catch-and-release, with very limited harvest or special seasons in a few places.

Use heavy gear and fish deep holes with bait on the bottom.
Keep big sturgeon in the water for photos and release; they are ancient and slow-growing.

Safety: A big sturgeon can tow a small boat: anchor securely and wear a life jacket.

Saltwater Fish

Coastal, bay and offshore species of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico.

Striped Bass

The Atlantic coast from Atlantic Canada to the Carolinas, the Gulf, San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento delta; also stocked in many inland reservoirs.

Season: Spring and fall migrations are prime time on the Atlantic coast; strict slot limits protect the breeding stock.

Fish moving tides around points, rips and inlets, especially at dawn, dusk and night.
Surfcast with plugs and bucktails, or use live eels and bunker.
Many Atlantic states require non-offset circle hooks when fishing bait.

Safety: Night surf and jetty fishing: wear studded boots on rocks, carry a headlamp and never fish alone on jetties in rough seas.

Bluefish, Fluke & Sea Bass

The mid-Atlantic and New England coasts, and south along the Atlantic.

Season: Mostly late spring through fall, with species-specific seasons and size limits.

Bluefish blitz on baitfish: cast metal lures into the frenzy.
Drift for fluke (summer flounder) with bucktails and strip bait over sandy bottom.
Find black sea bass on wrecks, reefs and rock piles.

Safety: Bluefish have razor teeth: use pliers to unhook them and keep fingers away from their mouth.

Redfish & Speckled Trout

Inshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic, from Texas to Virginia.

Season: Often open year-round, with slot limits; fall brings big bull reds to the passes and beaches.

Sight-fish tailing reds on shallow flats on calm mornings.
Fish a popping cork with live shrimp over grass flats for speckled trout.
Check the tide: moving water triggers feeding.

Safety: Summer heat and lightning are serious on the open flats: watch the sky and head in early.

Snook & Tarpon

Florida and the Gulf Coast; tarpon range up the Atlantic in summer.

Season: Snook have closed seasons during spawning and cold months in Florida. Tarpon are catch-and-release in Florida, except with a special tag.

Fish snook around mangroves, docks and bridge lights at night.
For tarpon, fish passes and beaches during the spring and summer migration.
Keep big tarpon in the water; Florida rules require it for large fish.

Safety: A jumping tarpon can land in the boat: keep everyone clear and fight fish from a safe position.

Pacific Halibut

Cold coastal waters from northern California to Alaska; Alaska and B.C. are the best known.

Season: Limited summer seasons and short openings in many areas.

Fish heavy jigs or bait on the bottom near ledges and drop-offs.
Halibut feed on the tide changes: plan around slack tide.

Safety: Large halibut thrash dangerously in a boat: secure them properly before bringing them aboard.

Rockfish & Lingcod

Rocky reefs from California to Alaska.

Season: Seasons and depth limits vary by area and are set to protect overfished species.

Fish rocky reefs and pinnacles with jigs and swimbaits.
Lingcod often grab a hooked rockfish: be ready.

Safety: Rockfish brought up from deep water suffer barotrauma: use a descending device to return them to depth. One is required on board in much of the West Coast.

Tuna, Mahi-mahi & Offshore Fish

Offshore waters of the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific, from bluefin in the Northeast to mahi-mahi in the Southeast and albacore off the West Coast.

Season: Mostly summer and fall, following warm water and bait.

Find temperature breaks, weed lines and birds working baitfish.
Troll lures or bait at speed, then switch to casting when a school comes up.
In the U.S., tunas, billfish and sharks need a federal Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit.

Safety: Offshore trips need a seaworthy boat, a VHF radio, an EPIRB or PLB, and a filed float plan. See Marine First Aid.

Shellfish

Crabs, lobsters, clams, oysters, scallops, shrimp and crawfish.

Dungeness Crab

Bays and coastal waters from California to Alaska.

Season: Recreational seasons vary by area: some open in summer, others from late fall into winter.

Use crab pots or rings baited with fish carcasses or chicken; check them every hour or so.
Keep only males above the legal size: measure every crab.
Shake the pot clean and return females and undersized crabs gently.

Safety: During domoic acid advisories, don't eat the crab guts (the butter). Always check for biotoxin closures before harvesting.

Blue Crab

Atlantic and Gulf estuaries, from Delaware and Chesapeake Bays to Texas.

Season: Mainly summer and early fall.

Use handlines with chicken necks, collapsible traps, or a dip net from a dock.
Fish the moving tide in brackish creeks and bays.
Return egg-bearing (sponge) females and undersized crabs.

Safety: Keep crabs alive and cold until cooking, and discard any that die before you cook them.

Lobster (American & Spiny)

American lobster from Atlantic Canada to New York; spiny lobster in Florida and southern California.

Season: Varies widely: southern California's season runs through fall and winter, Florida has a summer sport season plus a regular season, and some northern areas have seasonal closures.

Learn the rules for your area: licences, trap limits, size gauges and protected (notched or egg-bearing) females.
Spiny lobster are taken by divers or with hoop nets at night.
Measure every lobster before you keep it.

Safety: Diving for lobster: use a dive flag, never dive alone, and stay within your training.

Clams (Razor, Hardshell, Steamer & Geoduck)

Razor clams on Pacific surf beaches; littlenecks, manila clams and geoducks in Pacific Northwest bays; quahogs and steamers in the Northeast.

Season: Razor clam digs on the Pacific coast open on low tides only after toxin tests are clear. Other beaches vary.

Dig on the lowest tides; minus tides expose the best beds.
For razor clams, look for the dimple in the sand, then dig fast with a clam gun or shovel.
Fill your holes back in and take only your limit.

Safety: Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) can kill, and cooking doesn't destroy the toxin: always check your state or provincial biotoxin closure map before harvesting any clams, mussels or oysters.

Oysters & Mussels

Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Season: Many beaches are open year-round but close for biotoxins or sewage; summer brings the highest Vibrio risk.

Harvest only from beaches open to recreational harvest.
Some areas, like Washington, require you to shuck oysters on the beach and leave the shells there.

Safety: Keep shellfish cold and cook them thoroughly, especially in warm months when Vibrio bacteria are common. Check biotoxin and pollution closures first.

Bay Scallops

Seagrass beds on Florida's Gulf coast, and bays in New England and New York with local permits.

Season: Florida's Gulf scallop season is in summer; New England seasons usually fall into winter.

Snorkel shallow grass flats and look for the scallops' blue eyes.
Pick them by hand or with a small net.

Safety: Fly a dive flag, stay near your boat, and watch for boat traffic over the flats.

Shrimp & Spot Prawns

Spot prawns in deep water from Washington to Alaska; white and brown shrimp in the Southeast and Gulf.

Season: Spot prawn openings are often only a few days in spring in some areas; southern shrimp seasons run mainly late summer and fall.

Set weighted prawn traps in very deep water with plenty of line.
Cast-net shrimp in tidal creeks; some states allow shrimp baiting with a special licence.

Safety: Hauling deep traps by hand is heavy work: use a pot puller where you can and keep the line clear of your feet.

Crawfish

Louisiana and the Gulf South are famous for them; crayfish live in streams and lakes across the continent.

Season: Peak in spring in the South.

Use baited traps in shallow ditches, ponds and streams.
Purge them in clean water before cooking.

Safety: Never move live crayfish or bait between waters: invasive crayfish wreck lakes and streams. See Keep The Ocean Ocean.

Before You Go

Licences: freshwater and saltwater licences are often separate, and shellfish can need their own licence or endorsement.
Shellfish safety: check the biotoxin and pollution closure map before you dig, pick or crab; toxins don't cook out.
Fish consumption advisories list waters where mercury or PCBs limit how much fish is safe to eat.
Stop invasive species: Clean, Drain, Dry your boat and gear, and never move live fish or bait between waters.
Life jackets, ice safety and a float plan: see Fishing by Environment and file one with Scan Your Plan. Find a fishing partner with FishingBuddy.