Lake Superior supports a varied fish community of native, introduced, and invasive species. Representative native fish include lake trout, lake whitefish, brook trout, lake sturgeon, walleye, cisco, burbot, northern pike, yellow perch, minnows, and suckers; introduced examples include rainbow trout and several salmon species, while rainbow smelt and sea lamprey are non-native species of concern. Fish use different parts of the lake and its tributaries, so this representative list is not an exhaustive inventory or an abundance ranking.
Native fish in Lake Superior
Lake Superior’s native fish community includes species associated with open water, nearshore areas, and tributaries. They play different roles: some are predators or prey, while others support commercial or recreational fisheries. The list below highlights representative species rather than every fish recorded in the lake or watershed.
Lake trout
Lake trout are a defining native predator in Lake Superior. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission recognizes four forms in the lake: lean, siscowet, humper, and redfin. These are forms within one species, not four separate species.
The forms are associated with different habitats. The Commission describes lean lake trout as dominant in nearshore waters under 80 meters and siscowets as dominant offshore beyond 80 meters. Humper and redfin forms persist in eastern offshore waters and around Isle Royale. The Commission describes lake trout as a keystone predator connecting offshore and nearshore, and bottom and open-water, food webs.
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Cisco and other native prey fish
Cisco, also called lake herring, is a native prey fish in Lake Superior. Cisco and other indigenous prey fish are part of the lake’s food web, but the retrieved research does not establish a single lakewide abundance ranking for them or other species.
Lake whitefish
Lake whitefish are among the prominent native fish in Lake Superior and support fisheries in parts of the basin. They are also included among the lake’s native fish in management sources.
Lake sturgeon
Lake sturgeon are a native fish of Lake Superior. They are among the native predators identified in Minnesota DNR’s management overview. This overview does not establish one recovery status that applies across the entire basin.
Brook trout and coaster brook trout
Brook trout are native to the Lake Superior system. Ontario identifies coaster brook trout as a prominent native fishery in Fisheries Management Zone 9. The sources cited here do not establish a single basinwide status for coaster brook trout.
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Walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, minnows, and suckers
Walleye and yellow perch are prominent native fisheries identified in Ontario’s Zone 9 overview. Minnesota DNR and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission also identify northern pike, minnows, and suckers among native fish in the Lake Superior system. Their presence and importance can vary by location and habitat.
Burbot
Burbot is an indigenous fish identified in the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s diversity objectives. The Commission’s reporting also discusses burbot among fish affected by sea lamprey attacks.
Introduced and invasive fish
Introduced fish were brought into the system, while invasive fish are non-native and can raise ecological or management concerns. These categories describe origins and impacts; they do not mean that all non-native fish have the same ecological role.
| Category | Representative fish | What the research says |
|---|---|---|
| Native | Lake trout, lake whitefish, brook trout, lake sturgeon, walleye, cisco, burbot, northern pike, yellow perch, minnows, and suckers | Representative native fish identified by Minnesota DNR, Ontario, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. |
| Introduced | Rainbow trout; Chinook, coho, and pink salmon; brown trout | Regional sources identify these as introduced fish or game fish in the Lake Superior system. Examples and scope vary by source. |
| Non-native species of concern | Rainbow smelt and sea lamprey | Smelt is a non-native prey fish. Sea lamprey is parasitic and remains a management concern. |
Rainbow trout and steelhead
Rainbow trout were intentionally introduced in the late 1800s, according to Minnesota DNR, and are established in parts of the Lake Superior system. The migratory form is commonly called steelhead. Introductions and fisheries can vary by location.
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Chinook, coho, and pink salmon
Chinook, coho, and pink salmon are examples of introduced salmon identified in regional sources. Ontario’s Zone 9 overview identifies Chinook and coho in open waters and tributaries; Minnesota DNR materials also identify pink salmon among introductions. The sources differ in geographic scope and detail, so this is not an exhaustive list or a uniform account of where each species occurs.
Brown trout
Brown trout are included among introduced game fish in Minnesota DNR management material. The sources do not establish a single lakewide account of their abundance or distribution.
Rainbow smelt
Rainbow smelt is a non-native prey fish in Lake Superior. Minnesota DNR explains that smelt increased after lake trout declined, when fewer predators were available to consume them. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission describes smelt as the bulk of non-native prey fish in nearshore waters in its reporting, while offshore prey fish remain largely indigenous. Those descriptions refer to particular habitats and reporting context, not a comparable ranking of every fish lakewide.
Sea lamprey
Sea lamprey is an invasive, eel-like fish that feeds parasitically on other fish as an adult. Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources explains that it entered the Great Lakes through shipping canals. Lamprey attacks have affected lake trout, salmon, whitefish, cisco, and burbot, and control remains a management concern.
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Representative fish list
This is a representative list drawn from the cited management and regional sources, not a complete modern checklist:
- Lake trout: lean, siscowet, humper, and redfin forms
- Lake whitefish
- Brook trout, including coaster brook trout
- Lake sturgeon
- Walleye
- Cisco
- Burbot
- Northern pike
- Yellow perch
- Minnows and suckers
- Rainbow trout, including steelhead
- Chinook, coho, and pink salmon
- Brown trout
- Rainbow smelt
- Sea lamprey
Where Lake Superior fish live
Fish communities differ among nearshore and offshore waters and tributaries. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission describes lean lake trout as associated with nearshore water and siscowet with deeper offshore water; Ontario’s Zone 9 overview also identifies introduced salmon and rainbow trout in open waters and tributaries.
| Habitat | Examples supported by the sources | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Nearshore | Lean lake trout; rainbow smelt | The Commission describes lean lake trout as dominant in nearshore water under 80 meters and smelt as the bulk of non-native prey fish in nearshore waters in its reporting. |
| Offshore | Siscowet lake trout; humper and redfin lake trout | The Commission describes siscowets as dominant beyond 80 meters, and humper and redfin as persisting in eastern offshore waters and around Isle Royale. |
| Open waters and tributaries | Chinook and coho salmon; rainbow trout | Ontario’s Zone 9 overview identifies these introduced fish in open waters and tributaries. |
What affects Lake Superior’s fish community?
Management sources identify fishing, invasive species, and habitat degradation as ongoing concerns. Sea lamprey control is also a continuing management issue, and local fish communities differ by habitat and region.
Minnesota DNR states in its Lake Superior management overview: “Today’s major threats to Lake Superior remain unchanged from 70 years ago – too much fishing, impacts from invasive species and habitat degradation.” The page does not provide a publication date in the retrieved material, so the statement is attributed to the agency rather than assigned a year.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of fish are native to Lake Superior?
Representative native fish include lake trout, lake whitefish, brook trout, lake sturgeon, walleye, cisco, burbot, northern pike, yellow perch, minnows, and suckers. This is not a complete inventory.
How many fish species are in Lake Superior?
The sources used for this guide do not establish a single, clearly scoped lakewide total. Counts can differ depending on whether they include open water, nearshore areas, tributaries, or the wider watershed, so this article uses a representative list instead.
Are there salmon in Lake Superior?
Yes. Regional sources identify introduced Chinook, coho, and pink salmon in the Lake Superior system. The sources vary in scope and detail, so this does not mean each species is found everywhere in the lake.
Are lake trout, siscowet, humper, and redfin separate species?
No. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission recognizes lean, siscowet, humper, and redfin as four forms of lake trout in Lake Superior.
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What non-native fish are in Lake Superior?
Examples include rainbow trout, Chinook, coho, and pink salmon, brown trout, rainbow smelt, and sea lamprey. Smelt is a non-native prey fish, while sea lamprey is parasitic and a management concern.
Are all introduced fish invasive?
No. “Introduced” describes a fish brought into the system; “invasive” refers to non-native species that raise ecological or management concerns. The sources describe rainbow smelt and sea lamprey as non-native species of concern, but their ecological roles differ.
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