NC Envirothon 2026 Fishh

American shad

How to recognize American shad

4-6 dark spots, sawtooth-ridged belly

Bluegill

How to recognize bluegill

Black operculum, dark spot at posterior base of the soft dorsal fin, dark vertical bars

Brook trout

How to identify brook trout

Mottled, “worm-like” markings on back and tail, yellowish and orangish spots

Black crappie

How to identify black crappie

7-8 spiny dorsal fin rays, compressed body, dorsal and anal fins same shape and size, spots in irregular pattern

White crappie

How to identify white crappie

5-6 spiny dorsal fin rays, anal & dorsal fin same size and shape, spots form vertical bars

Largemouth bass

How to identify largemouth bass

Elongated body, long lower jaw, big. Deep dorsal fin notches, no scales at the base of dorsal fin

American shad scientific name & family

Alosa sapidissima, Clupeidae (herring)

American shad status/people interactions

Historically supported fisheries - Prized for flesh and roe
Many populations depleted by overfishing, dam construction
Degraded spawning sites due to water pollution

American shad habitat and habits

Anadromous

First spawning run at 4-5 yrs.

Large migrations, attempt to reach same spawn sites yearly. Annual spring spawning migration

Spawn in shallow water with moderate currents

American shad range

American shad food

Juveniles eat worms, crustaceans and

insects. Adults eat large zooplankton, fish

eggs and small fish.

Bluegill scientific name & family

Lepomis macrochirus, sunfish/panfish

Bluegill additional names

Brim/bream

Bluegill status/people interactions

Highly adaptable

Prolific - Not endangered nor threatened

High mortality naturally & significantly from angling

Sought after for fishing opportunities (game fish)

Bluegill habitats

Streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, reservoirs

Warm slow-moving/still water, clear & quiet

Largest populations found in shallow lakes and ponds

Bluegill spawning

Season: Once per month, April-October.

Spawning peak in May and June ; Temp 70 F

Mature at 1-2 yrs, spawn at ~2-3

Nests located in 1-6 ft. of water

Form nesting colonies

Lay 2,000-60,000 eggs, hatch within 1-2 days depending on water temp. Can produce 2,000-10,000 young

Males protect eggs

Bluegill range

All NC counties

Bluegill food

Zooplankton, aquatic insects and small

fish. Also snails, mollusks, mites, fish eggs

and plants.

Brook trout scientific name & family

Salvelinus fontinalis, Salmonidae

Brook trout history & status

Only trout native to Western NC. Southern Appalachian strain

Southern Appalachian:
Historical logging damaged stream habitats

Erosion & siltation from activity limited spawning success: Smothers eggs, restricts oxygen supply

Lost canopy cover → stream warming, no longer able to support coldwater fishes

Other strains of brook trout & trout (Northern strain, rainbow, brown) stocked to replace S Appalachian, native brook population outcompeted

Range declined ~80% since 1900

Status of concern

Brook trout habitat

Isolated, high-altitude headwater streams

Water free of pollution & oxygen-rich

Brook trout spawning

Stable water flows, silt-free gravel for spawning

Abundance of pools & riffles w/ sufficient stream cover

Occurs in fall ~September-November.

Females construct nest (redd) in gravel,

incubation period varies depending on water temp

Hatch in early spring, mature in ~2 yrs.

Brook trout food

Adults - a wide variety of aquatic and

terrestrial insects, as well as crustaceans,

fish and other small vertebrates

young - small aquatic and terrestrial insects.

Brook trout range

Western NC

Largemouth bass scientific name & family

Micropterus salmoides, sunfish

Largemouth bass status

Most sought-after freshwater game fish in the US

Largemouth bass habitat

Lots of structure: E.g. weed beds, sunken logs, rocks, brush, standing timber

Uses structure for ambush sites & hiding from predators

Preferred temp 77-86 degrees

Rarely feed at temps below 50 degrees, cannot survive at above 98

Largemouth bass spawning

Spring, water temp ~60 degrees, swim to spawning grounds

Hatching based on water temp: 72 degrees: 2 days, 67 degrees: 5 days

Female deposits eggs in nest guarded by male

2,000 - 12,000 fry hatch

1-3 in. young called fingerlings

Largemouth bass people interactions

Stocking project after Hurricane Isabel - magnetic tags on different sized largemouth bass in Roanake and Chowan rivers. Study provided valuable insight on management strategy to monitor largemouth bass recovery

Largemouth bass range

All NC counties

Black crappie scientific name & family

Pomoxis nigromaculatus, sunfish

White crappie scientific name & family

Pomoxis annularis, sunfish