This past Sunday zackdmb, my daughter Holly, and I hit the Grand River in northeast Ohio. We followed Todd's suggestion, and started at Harpersfield Dam Park, and then did the tributary Rock Creek at Rock Creek Rotary Park.

We spent about 3 hours working the left bank of the Grand River downstream from Harpersfield Dam Park. We wanted to cross to the right bank, but the stream became very swift and deeper as we waded toward the middle. So we put the bucket of fish in the van, drove across the covered bridge, and worked our way downstream on the right bank for another two hours. We then drove to Rock Creek Rotary Park and spent another hour there.

I'm not really familiar with the Grand River, but I suspect it was high after recent rains. The water was very sediment-laden. This may have affected the results. We found a respectable species list, but only one or a few of each species. A major bummer is, the one and only logperch was found on the left bank. It passed away in the bucket while we were working our way down the right bank. I have not had this problem in the fall and winter. I must get a battery-powered aerator before the next trip so this won't happen again. I have been looking for a logperch for some time. On the positive side, we each took home a trout-perch. One seine haul had the two biggest rock bass I've ever seen. There were some islands and back channels that looked like they had excellent fish habitat, but we just couldn't get to them across the strong current. Hopefully another time when the water is lower, and we'll get better quantities.

Rock Creek did not have as many species (at least that we encountered), but we found some really nice greenside darters, madtoms, and a brook lamprey. I'm not entirely sure, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it to be a northern brook lamprey (listed as threatened in Ohio). What a pleasant surprise!

Species List:

Grand River below Harpersfield Dam:
Creek Chub
Striped Shiner
Spotfin Shiner
Northern Hogsucker
White Sucker
Trout-Perch
White Black Crappie
Rock Bass
Bluegill
Walleye Yellow Perch
Blackside Darter
Logperch
Johnny Darter
Greenside Darter
Fantail Darter

Rock Creek at Rock Creek Rotary Park:
Northern (?) Brook Lamprey
Blacknose Dace
Striped Shiner
Central Stoneroller
White Sucker
Stonecat
Greenside Darter
Rainbow Darter

Probably other shiners, too. Neither of us is very good at ID'ing shiners.


The Crew (yes, I'm the old one on the right):


White Black Crappie:


Anybody got a guess?


Walleye Yellow Perch:


Rock Bass:


Logperch:


Northern Hogsucker:


A pair of greenside darters:


Male Central Stoneroller in full breeding dress:


Northern Brook Lamprey(?)


Spotfin Shiner:


White Sucker:


Blackside Darter:


Stonecat:


Trout-Perch:

Ed, I think your white crappie might be a black crappie. Also that looks like a yellow perch to me rather than a walleye.
The unidentified minnow looks an awful lot like a tonguetied minnow from the photo, but you should have been out of range.
Looks like you guys had a great time.

Ed, I think your white crappie might be a black crappie. Also that looks like a yellow perch to me rather than a walleye.
The unidentified minnow looks an awful lot like a tonguetied minnow from the photo, but you should have been out of range.
Looks like you guys had a great time.

I thought black crappie when I first saw it, but only white crappie is on the NatureServe list of what's supposed to be there. Of course, there's no guarantee that the NatureServe list is complete. I have seen fish that look like this labeled as white crappie before. I agree, though, I'm inclined to call this a black crappie.

Walleye and yellow perch have similar appearances to me. I have never seen a walleye in person before. Holly instantly called this a yellow perch. I'll give her credit and revise the assessment.

If you look at the NatureServe range maps, tonguetied minnows have discrete ranges in all directions from the Grand. It seems possible that they may exist in the Grand also. Let's hold off judgement on that minnow until others weigh in.

looks to me like the unidentified is a Hornyhead Chub...?

Ed,
Did you get any additional photos of the lamprey? (or do you happen to remember if it had lots of teeth? )
It indeed appears to be a Northern brook But I would not discount it being a Silver. Both of these fish have the uninterupted dorsal fin and similiar coloration. "Mouth" disc size and presence or absence of developed teeth are key ways to distinguish them apart. Size can sort of be an indicator as well...

Northern brooks are crazy rare in Ohio and are listed as an endangered species. I know they are in the area you fished for sure as it is likely the only portian of Ohio that still has them in abundance. I have seen them over there before.

Silvers do move quite far down stream however at times and given the complications of Identification between these two a bit more detail would help to pin it.

i compared pictures I found online of the mouth's of both the Northern brook and Silver lamprey and from what i can remember about the one we caught it is a Northern Brook Lamprey.

I would have to agree with Nate, I am guessing hornyhead also. The scale count is right for hornyhead. Way off for a tonguetied.

That chub is either a hornyhead or a riverchub and I think based on the face and lack of much red on the fins and especially the tail that I would vote for river chub. take a look at the pictures of these two species back from the SE MI trip a few of us did a while back.

That chub is either a hornyhead or a riverchub and I think based on the face and lack of much red on the fins and especially the tail that I would vote for river chub. take a look at the pictures of these two species back from the SE MI trip a few of us did a while back.

It's a river chub.

It's a river chub.

I agree with Todd here. That is a river chub.

Sorry, I must be contrarian on this. The big scales definitely indicate a Nocomis, but the mouth is just too small. These guys are famous for moving large stones to build large nests. That little hole in the front of that fish is just not going to get it done. I have to call it... wait for it... a... HYBRID! And isn't that black band behind the head kind of weird?

Then what would it be?

The black spot is debris or the influence of angle, light, etc.

It looks like a gravid female, which is going to have a smaller mouth. Again, the mouth size is influenced by angle, light, extention, etc.

Sorry Mark, there's no question on this one

Here's some other Great Lakes basin micropogon.

http://gallery.nanfa...inidae/nocomis/

Todd