If you peer into a clear rocky stream and spot a stout, mottled fish with startling red eyes hovering near a boulder, you have found a Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris). It is a sunfish relative that favors stony cover.
What it looks like
Rock Bass usually run 15 to 25cm long with a deep, sturdy body. The color is a brassy olive marbled with dark blotches that form rows of dots along the sides, and the fish can darken or pale to match its surroundings. The clearest field mark is the eye, a bright brick red that stands out even underwater. The mouth is large for a panfish, and the lower fins carry sharp spines.
When and where
- Season: Spring through fall
- Habitat: Rocky streams, lake shallows near boulders and logs
- Best time: Daytime in clear water near cover
An ambush hunter near cover
Rock Bass stay close to rocks, sunken logs, and undercut banks, waiting for prey to pass. They eat insects, crayfish, and small fish, and they can flare their gill covers to look bigger when threatened. In late spring the male sweeps out a shallow gravel nest and guards the eggs and newly hatched young against anything that comes near. Their fondness for cover makes them a favorite first catch for young anglers.
Spot one this weekend
The Rock Bass is Common. Look into clear, rocky shallows near logs and boulders and watch for a stocky mottled fish holding still. If you can get close enough, check for the unmistakable red eye.