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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Manitoba lakes contain a remarkably varied fish community, from prized walleye and northern pike to lake whitefish, burbot, suckers, bullheads, and tiny schooling minnows. The province has more than 100,000 lakes and at least 95 freshwater fish species in its waters.
The 30 fish below are documented in one or more Manitoba lake systems—not species found in every lake. The clearest lake-by-lake evidence comes from the Manitoba government’s inventory of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, which records 44 species in the combined system and distinguishes which fish were documented in each lake.
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Before identifying a Manitoba lake fish
Fish distribution changes with water temperature, depth, vegetation, water clarity, habitat, watershed connections, stocking, and seasonal conditions. A species listed in Manitoba’s fishing regulations is not necessarily present in every lake, and being documented in a lake does not automatically mean that the fish is a legal harvest species or safe to eat.
The list includes sport fish, commercial and food fish, forage fish, bottom-feeding species, introduced fish, and species with conservation concerns. Several are easily recognized; others are small minnows that anglers may see only as part of the lake’s food web.
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For identification, a regional reference such as The Freshwater Fishes of Manitoba can be more useful than a general fish guide because it focuses on Manitoba’s species and identification characteristics. Check the current edition and availability before buying.
Popular game fish and larger lake fish
1. Walleye (Sander vitreus)
Walleye are among Manitoba’s best-known sport and commercial fish. They were documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Their light-sensitive eyes help them feed in low-light conditions, and they are especially associated with lakes and rivers where the water is dim, stained, or turbid. A walleye typically has a golden or olive body, a white belly, a large glassy-looking eye, and a prominent dark spot on the rear of the first dorsal fin.
Walleye are not proof that every Manitoba lake offers the same fishing opportunities. Local abundance, regulations, habitat, and seasonal closures vary.
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Northern pike are long, powerful predators with a duck-like snout, sharp teeth, pale oval markings, and a green-to-olive body. They are common in many kinds of freshwater habitat, including lakes, marshes, bays, and slow-moving water. The Lake Manitoba–Lake St. Martin inventory documented northern pike in both lakes.
Pike often use weedy or shallow areas to ambush prey, although larger fish may occupy deeper water. Their size and aggressive feeding make them a popular Manitoba sport fish.
3. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Yellow perch are schooling fish with a golden-yellow body, several dark vertical bars, and orange-tinted lower fins. They occur in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin and are associated with cool lakes, ponds, weedy areas, and sandy habitats.
Perch are important both to anglers and to larger predators. Their schooling behaviour means that a lake can contain many perch even when individual fish are small.
4. Sauger (Sander canadensis)
Sauger are close relatives of walleye and occupy large rivers and lakes. They were recorded in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Compared with walleye, sauger often have more distinct dark blotches on the body and dark markings on the dorsal fin, although colour can vary with water conditions.
Because sauger and walleye can look similar, identification matters before keeping a fish. Use the current Manitoba Anglers’ Guide for the applicable seasons, size rules, possession limits, and identification requirements.
5. Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
Lake whitefish are cold-water salmonids with a deep, silvery body, a small head, and a projecting lower jaw. They were documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin and are important commercial fish in Manitoba.
They are not trout, despite belonging to the same broad salmonid family. Their preferred conditions and local distribution can differ from those of warm-water sport fish.
6. Cisco or lake herring (Coregonus artedi)
Cisco, also called lake herring, are schooling salmonids that form an important part of the forage-fish and commercial-fish community. They occur in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.
Cisco can be confused with other silvery schooling fish when viewed briefly in the water. Body shape, fin placement, and local identification references are more reliable than colour alone.
7. Burbot (Lota lota)
Burbot are Manitoba’s freshwater member of the cod family. They have an elongated, mottled body, a single chin barbel, and soft-looking fins. The species was documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.
Burbot are commonly associated with cold, deep water and are notably active during winter. Their appearance is unusual among Manitoba lake fish, making the chin barbel one of the most useful clues during identification.
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8. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Smallmouth bass are popular sport fish included in Manitoba’s official fish-biology material. They are generally bronze to brown, with a broad-bodied shape and a mouth that does not extend far behind the eye. Their name distinguishes them from largemouth bass, whose upper jaw extends farther back.
Local occurrence and fishing rules should be checked for the lake being visited. A species described in provincial biology material is not necessarily present in every Manitoba lake.
9. Rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris)
Rock bass are small-to-medium panfish with a deep body, large mouth, reddish eyes, and dark mottling. They were documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.
They are members of the centrarchid family, alongside bass and sunfish. Rock bass are often overlooked beside larger sport fish, but they are a recognizable part of the lake community.
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10. White bass (Morone chrysops)
White bass are schooling predatory fish included in Manitoba’s official fish-biology reference. They have a silvery body, a deeper profile than many forage fish, and dark horizontal lines along the sides.
White bass can be mistaken for other silver-bodied fish at a glance. Identification should be based on several features rather than one stripe or one colour impression.
11. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Rainbow trout occur in Manitoba angling contexts largely through stocking or introduction. The Lake Manitoba–Lake St. Martin inventory recorded rainbow trout in Lake St. Martin and noted that they were not found in the Lake Manitoba survey area.
The species is usually recognizable by its streamlined body, dark spotting, and pink or reddish lateral stripe, but colour and spotting vary. Do not assume that trout are naturally established in every lake where they may be stocked.
Commercial, food, and large native fish
12. Goldeye (Hiodon alosoides)
Goldeye are silvery fish with conspicuously large eyes, a feature that helps explain their common name. They were documented in the Lake Manitoba–Lake St. Martin system and are among the freshwater fish targeted by Manitoba commercial net fisheries.
Goldeye are distinct from walleye despite the similar name. Their body is generally more slender and silvery, and their relationship is closer to mooneye than to walleye.
13. Mooneye (Hiodon tergisus)
Mooneye are close relatives of goldeye. The lake inventory documents them in Lake Manitoba. They are silvery, laterally compressed fish with large eyes and a relatively deep-bodied appearance.
Mooneye are less familiar to many recreational anglers than walleye or pike, so a regional fish reference is useful when distinguishing them from goldeye and other silver fish.
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Freshwater drum, often called sheepshead, are native freshwater fish recorded in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. They have a deep, silvery-to-grey body and a noticeably arched back.
The species can produce a drumming or grunting sound, especially in certain conditions, which is unusual among freshwater fish. It is a native part of the lake ecosystem rather than a marine fish that has moved inland.
15. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Common carp are introduced or non-native fish associated with warm, productive waters. They were documented in Lake Manitoba and are also included in Manitoba’s fish regulations.
Carp have a robust body, large scales, a long dorsal fin, and barbels near the mouth. Their presence should not be interpreted as evidence that all Manitoba lakes contain them. Rules concerning possession, release, and harvest can be important for introduced species, so consult the current regulations before handling one.
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Lake sturgeon are very large, long-lived fish with an elongated body, rows of bony plates, a pointed snout, and barbels near the mouth. In the Lake Manitoba–Lake St. Martin inventory, they were recorded in Lake St. Martin but not Lake Manitoba.
Lake sturgeon have an elevated conservation status noted in the inventory and should not be treated like an ordinary catch-and-keep species. Anyone encountering one should check current Manitoba rules and conservation guidance before taking action. Follow handling and release requirements carefully where fishing is permitted.
Suckers and redhorses
17. White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
White suckers are widespread native bottom-feeding fish documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. They have a cylindrical body, a blunt snout, and a downward-facing mouth suited to feeding near the bottom.
Suckers are ecologically important even though they are less celebrated than game fish. Their presence contributes to the food web and does not mean that a lake is unhealthy or “full of trash fish.”
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18. Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
Quillback are sucker-family fish recorded in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Their most distinctive feature is the long, extended spine at the front of the dorsal fin, which gives the species its common name.
They have a deep, silvery body and can be difficult to identify from a quick photograph if the dorsal spine is folded or obscured. Look for the fin structure as well as the body profile.
19. Bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
Bigmouth buffalo are large sucker-family fish documented in Lake Manitoba. They have a deep body and a large, forward-facing mouth compared with many other suckers.
Manitoba conservation-status information identifies bigmouth buffalo as a species of conservation concern at the relevant Canadian assessment levels. That status is an important reason not to assume that a large fish is automatically an appropriate harvest target.
20. Silver redhorse (Moxostoma anisurum)
Silver redhorse are native redhorse suckers documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. They are generally silvery, streamlined sucker-family fish with a relatively clean, reflective appearance.
Redhorses can be confused with one another. Mouth shape, lip structure, body proportions, and fin details are more useful than a general impression of “silver fish.”
21. Shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)
Shorthead redhorse are another native redhorse sucker recorded in both lakes in the provincial inventory. As their name suggests, head shape is one of the features that can help separate them from other redhorses, but reliable identification usually requires looking at the mouth and fin details as well.
They are part of the bottom-oriented fish community and are not simply smaller versions of sport fish such as walleye or perch.
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Bullheads and catfish
22. Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas)
Black bullheads are small catfish-family fish recorded in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Like other bullheads, they have smooth, scaleless skin, whisker-like barbels around the mouth, and stout bodies.
Their dark colour can vary, and the sharp spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins can cause painful punctures. Handle them carefully rather than gripping near the fins.
23. Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
Brown bullheads are bottom-oriented catfish-family fish documented in Lake Manitoba and included in Manitoba’s official fish-biology material. They usually have a mottled brown body, barbels, and defensive fin spines.
Brown and black bullheads can be challenging to separate by colour alone. A local identification key is preferable to relying on a single photograph or common name.
24. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
Channel catfish are larger catfish documented in Lake Manitoba and featured in Manitoba’s fish-biology material. They have a deeply forked tail, a smooth body, barbels, and a relatively slender shape compared with bullheads.
The forked tail is a useful first clue when distinguishing a channel catfish from a bullhead. As with any fish, local rules determine whether, when, and how it may be harvested.
Small minnows and forage fish
25. Pearl dace (Margariscus margarita)
Pearl dace are small minnow-family fish documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. They are easy to overlook beside large game fish, but small minnows are important prey and help support the wider lake food web.
Small fish identification often requires a close look at scale patterns, lateral markings, fin positions, and body shape. A photograph taken from above may not show enough detail for a confident identification.
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26. Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
Golden shiners are small, deep-bodied minnows recorded in both lakes. They are commonly associated with quiet, vegetated freshwater habitats and often have a golden or olive sheen with a strongly flattened body profile.
They may be confused with other small silvery or golden minnows. Habitat is a helpful clue, but it should support—not replace—an examination of physical features.
27. Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides)
Emerald shiners are schooling forage fish documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. They are slender and silvery, often with a greenish or emerald cast along the upper side.
Large schools can be an important food source for predatory fish. Their small size does not make them ecologically unimportant.
28. Spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius)
Spottail shiners are small schooling minnows recorded in both lakes. A dark spot near the base of the tail is the feature suggested by their common name, although lighting, angle, and water clarity can make it difficult to see.
They are among the small fish that may be encountered near shore, around vegetation, or as prey for larger lake predators.
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29. Northern redbelly dace (Phoxinus eos)
Northern redbelly dace are small minnow-family fish documented in both Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Breeding males can develop stronger red coloration along the underside, while nonbreeding fish may look much less vivid.
Season, sex, and breeding condition can therefore change the fish’s appearance. Colour alone is not enough for a dependable identification.
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Fathead minnows are hardy, small-bodied minnows recorded in both lakes and listed in Manitoba’s fish regulations. They have a relatively blunt head and compact body, with appearance varying between breeding and nonbreeding fish.
They are widespread forage fish and are often associated with quiet or slow water. If a minnow is being collected or used as bait, verify the current provincial rules rather than assuming that its small size makes every use legal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Manitoba lake fish are game fish?
Commonly sought sport fish among the 30 include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, sauger, smallmouth bass, rock bass, white bass, burbot, and rainbow trout. Lake whitefish, cisco, goldeye, northern pike, walleye, and other species may also be relevant to commercial or food fisheries.
That classification is practical rather than a complete legal list. A fish’s presence in a lake, popularity with anglers, commercial importance, and legal harvest status are separate questions. Regulations may vary by species, location, season, gear, licence, size, possession limit, and conservation measure.
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How to identify a fish caught in Manitoba
- Photograph it before releasing it. Use a clear side view, include the full body and fins, and avoid squeezing the fish or placing it on a dry, hot surface.
- Note the location and habitat. Record the lake, shoreline or offshore setting, depth if known, vegetation, water clarity, and date. These details help narrow possibilities but do not prove identification.
- Check several body features. Look at the mouth position, fin shape, tail, dorsal spines, scales, barbels, lateral markings, and body profile.
- Compare similar species. Walleye and sauger, goldeye and mooneye, the three sucker groups, and black and brown bullheads should not be separated by colour alone.
- Use an authoritative regional source. A Manitoba-focused fish reference is especially useful because it covers local species and reduces confusion caused by names used differently in other regions.
- Confirm the rules before keeping or transporting it. The province’s current Anglers’ Guide is the appropriate place to check licences, seasons, limits, and other requirements. The 2026 guide was the current reference at the time of this research, but fishing rules can change.
Are all 30 fish safe to eat?
No blanket safety claim should be made for this list. These fish differ in legal status, conservation status, size, contaminants, local advisories, and whether they are normally harvested. Some are primarily forage fish or non-game species, and lake sturgeon and bigmouth buffalo require particular conservation awareness.
If you plan to eat a catch, check current Manitoba consumption advisories for the specific lake and species, follow any preparation guidance, and confirm that the fish may legally be retained. Do not use this species list as a food-safety or harvest guide.
Why a lake inventory does not describe every Manitoba lake
The Lake Manitoba–Lake St. Martin inventory is valuable because it distinguishes records from two named lakes and combines desktop information with field assessment. It is not a province-wide claim that all 30 species occur in every lake.
Manitoba’s official regulation schedule contains a much broader list of common and scientific fish names. That schedule is useful for regulatory purposes, but its inclusion of a species should not be treated as proof of occurrence in every Manitoba lake. For a particular lake, the best answer comes from local fisheries information, current government material, and a careful identification of the fish itself.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these 30 fish found in every Manitoba lake?
No. They are fish documented in one or more Manitoba lake systems. The strongest lake-specific evidence in this list comes from Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, and local fish communities vary with habitat, temperature, depth, connectivity, stocking, and watershed.
What are the most popular sport fish in Manitoba lakes?
Walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, sauger, smallmouth bass, rock bass, white bass, burbot, and rainbow trout are among the sport fish represented here. Popularity and legal harvest rules are not the same thing, so check the current Manitoba Anglers’ Guide.
Is lake sturgeon found in Lake Manitoba?
The cited Lake Manitoba–Lake St. Martin inventory recorded lake sturgeon in Lake St. Martin, not Lake Manitoba. Lake sturgeon are large, long-lived fish with conservation importance, so current provincial rules should be checked before handling or retaining one.
What is the difference between a walleye and a sauger?
They are close relatives and can look similar. Sauger commonly show more distinct dark body blotches and dorsal-fin markings, while walleye are often recognized by their large reflective eyes and the dark spot on the first dorsal fin. Use a reliable regional identification guide when the distinction affects legal harvest.
Where can I check Manitoba fishing rules?
Use the current Manitoba Anglers’ Guide and official provincial fisheries information for licences, seasons, limits, gear rules, conservation measures, and consumption advisories. Regulations are location- and species-specific and can change.
The Bottom Line
Manitoba lakes support far more than a short list of familiar game fish. Walleye, pike, perch, whitefish, cisco, burbot, sturgeon, suckers, catfish, and small minnows all occupy different parts of the province’s freshwater ecosystems. Treat this list as an identification starting point—not proof that a species occurs in every lake or that it may legally be kept—and verify current rules before fishing, transporting, or eating a catch.
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