The Minnesota Fish Quiz

All pages of this quiz were updated on January 3, 2024.

Instructions : Answer each of the following questions by clicking on the choice you think is correct. If you have chosen the right answer, you will be taken to a page providing additional information. Should your answer be incorrect, you will be taken to a page informing you of your error. In either case, use the Back function to return to the quiz.

1. You probably know that the Walleye is the Minnesota state fish, and you might even know that in Canada it's often called a "pickerel." However, do you know to what fish family the Walleye belongs? Click on a choice below:
A. Pike
B. Bass
C. Trout
D. Perch

2. Here in Minnesota we usually just use the generic term "sunfish" to refer to any fish from this genus. However, there are actually many different species of sunfish in Minnesota. Of the sunfish species listed below, which is the largest and most popular variety in our state?
A. Pumpkinseed
B. Bluegill
C. Green Sunfish
D. Longear Sunfish

3. Though often thought of as a southern fish, this bass has become quite popular with Minnesota anglers. Particularly at home in the shallow, weedy lakes of central and southern Minnesota, this fish is often taken on plastic worms, spinners, and other artificial baits. Which of the following is it?
A. Largemouth Bass
B. Smallmouth Bass
C. Rock Bass
D. White Bass

4. Of the following species, which is the only member of the temperate or "true" bass family?
A. Smallmouth Bass
B. Warmouth Bass
C. Rock Bass
D. White Bass

5. Of the species listed below, which has the potential to attain the largest size?
A. Lake Sturgeon
B. Muskellunge
C. Freshwater Drum
D. Longnose Gar

6. Which of the following trout species is native to Minnesota?
A. Rainbow Trout
B. Brown Trout
C. Brook Trout
D. Cutthroat Trout

7. This large, invasive species has gotten a lot of publicity for its habit of leaping from the water when startled, sometimes colliding with and even injuring boaters. Which of the species below is this incredible jumping fish?
A. Grass Carp
B. Silver Carp
C. Bighead Carp
D. Black Carp

8. Minnesotans call them eelpout, ling, or lawyer. But which of the names below is the "real" name for this not-so-attractive fish?
A. Burbot
B. Bowfin
C. Freshwater Drum
D. Snakehead

9. Which of the following catfish species is native to Minnesota?
A. White Catfish
B. Redtail Catfish
C. Channel Catfish
D. Blue Catfish

10. The crappie is a popular panfish in Minnesota, and many anglers don't know that there is more than one species of crappie that inhabit our state's waters. Which of the crappie species is the most common and widely distributed in  Minnesota?
A. White Crappie
B. Silver Crappie
C. Black Crappie
D. Striped Crappie

11. These members of the catfish family are common and widely distributed in Minnesota. The three species found in our state are named for colors (black, brown, or yellow) though they are often not distinguishable on that basis. All are edible and relatively popular with anglers. To which of the fish below does this description apply?
A. Bullhead
B. Stonecat
C. Buffalo Fish
D. Stickleback

12. Often taken through the ice, these members of the whitefish family are commonly called tulibee or lake herring. What is their proper name?
A. Mooneye
B. Lake Whitefish
C. Cisco
D. Round Whitefish

13. Of the species listed below, which is NOT native to Minnesota?
A. Highfin Carpsucker
B. Common Carp
C. Bigmouth Buffalo
D. Longnose Sucker

14. When Minnesotans say they're fishing for "pike," they usually mean which of the following species?
A. Northern Pike
B. Redfin Pickerel
C. Chain Pickerel
D. Grass Pickerel

15. Which of the trout species below is native to Lake Superior and was once an important species for Minnesota commercial fishermen?
A. Steelhead Trout
B. Lake Trout
C. Dolly Varden Trout
D. Blueback Trout

16. Sometimes called "sheepshead," this is the only member of its family found in fresh water. Can you identify it from among the species listed below?
A. White Perch
B. Bloater
C. Mooneye
D. Freshwater Drum

17. Of the following species, which  is the only one native to Minnesota?
A. Longnose Gar
B. Round Goby
C. White Perch
D. Ruffe

18. This unpopular rough fish, commonly called "dogfish," is often caught accidentally by anglers seeking more desirable gamefish. Which of the following is its actual name?
A. Bowfin
B. Flathead Catfish
C. Deepwater Sculpin
D. Bigmouth Buffalo

19. Which species of Salmon was the first to be successfully introduced into the Great Lakes?
A. Atlantic Salmon
B. Coho Salmon
C. Chinook Salmon
D. Pink Salmon

20. The redhorse is a member of what family of fishes?
A. Catfish
B. Carp
C. Minnow
D. Sucker

Didn't do very well on the quiz? Want to try another question? Then click here for one that even you can get right!
 

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Special thanks to Jay T. Hatch, Natural History of Minnesota Fishes,
for use of his wonderful collection of fish images.
 

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