FATHEAD MINNOWS (Pimephales promelas) play an important role in supporting the larger fish you love to catch, like largemouth bass, black crappie and channel catfish. They provide a reliable food source, helping your predators grow faster and alleviating pressure on the bluegill population. Increased food availability reduces competition and can lead to faster growth rates for predators.
ALIAS: Tuffy, blackhead minnow, minner
IDENTIFICATION: Stout, chubby; back tan to olive; sides silvery to brassy, with dark caudal spot. Breeding males grayish-black with pale fleshy pad behind head; pale below dorsal fin. Snout blunt; mouth nearly terminal, oblique. Fins low, rounded; first dorsal fin ray short, splintlike; 7 anal fin rays. Lateral line incomplete; 42-48 scales in lateral series; scales behind head crowded.
DIET: Primarily algae and other plant matter, but will eat insects and copepods.
HABITAT: Clear pools of creeks, shallow ponds, and lakes over sand, gravel, or mud.
SPAWNING: As fractional spawners, fathead minnows spawn throughout the spring and summer once water temperatures reach 64°F. Females spawn multiple times between spring and fall. Their reproductive rate makes them an excellent stocking choice.
TIPS: A twice per year supplemental stocking is recommended.
USE: Available East & West Slope