Scientific name:
Ambloplites Rupestris
Identification:
Dorsal region of head, back, and upper sides brown to olive; ventral region lighter. Eyes bright red to orange. All fins pigmented; vertical fins with distinct white spots posteriorly. Each scale pocket below lateral line with a prominent black spot, forming 8-10 horizontal rows of spots. In young up to 51 mm, sides variably marbled in black and white. Breeding males blackish, with eye color intensified.
Distribution:
In Wisconsin, the rock bass occurs in the Mississippi River, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior drainage basins. It is present in the shallow waters of the Lakes, and in many of the softwater lakes in northern Wisconsin, but it is less common in lakes southward. The rock bass is common in medium to large streams and in lakes throughout Wisconsin, except in the southwestern quarter, where it is rare.
Spawning:
Spawning takes place in water from a few cen- timeters deep to more than 1.0 m deep, in circular, dish-shaped nests. The male builds the nest by fan- ning out sand and debris over a bottom of coarse sand or gravel to create a depression of 20-25 cm (8-10 in) diam.
Angling: