Lake Whitefish Facts
Lake Whitefish are one of the most common types of fish in North America. They can be found in any large body of cold water.
They belong to the salmon family and like to stay pretty deep in the water. They can usually be found at about 60-120 feet deep. They are often caught for their exceptional taste and because of their high nutritional value.
Interesting Lake Whitefish Facts
Whitefish are a relatively large fish. They can reach 20-31 inches long and weigh up to 20 lbs. What a catch!
Their nickname is “humpback” because they have a small head in comparison to the rest of their body.
Whitefish have greenish-brown scales on their back and silver scales on their sides. Their belly has white scales, which gives them their name.
Whitefish have fantastic eyesight. They have to! Since they live near to the bottom of lakes, it is really important. They also have a great sense of smell.
You can read our article on Goldfish fun facts.
Whitefish are carnivorous, meaning they only eat meat. They like to dine on shrimps, clams, small fish, and snails.
Whitefish can live to be really old! The oldest recorded wild fish was 50 years old, though the average lifespan is 25 years.
During the heyday of commercial fishing efforts, about 1 million pounds of whitefish were removed from the Great Lakes per year.
This led to a decline in their population. Luckily, they are on the upswing once more!
