Trinity River

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fishes of Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge Established in 1994, the 30,000-acre Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge is a remnant of what was once a much larger, frequently flooded, bottomland hardwood forest. You are still able to view vast expanses of ridge and swale floodplain features, numerous bayous, oxbow lakes, and cypress/tupelo swamps along the Trinity River. It is one of only 14 priority-one bottomland sites identified for protection in the Texas Bottomland Protection Plan. This type of habitat is used during migration or nesting by nearly 50 percent of the migratory bird species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Over 275 species of birds occur in the hardwood forest and associated wetlands in eastern Texas; while over 100 bird species are known to breed there. These forests also support a wide diversity of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish including the federally listed bald eagle and alligator. Family Cyprinidae (Carps and Minnows) Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) Red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) Blacktail shiner (C. venusta) Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) Ribbon shiner (Lythrurus fumeus) Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) Blackspot shiner (Notropis atrocaudalis) Mimic shiner (N. volucellus) Pugnose minnow (Opsopoeodus emiliae) Bullhead minnow (Pimephales vigilax) Family Catostomidae (Suckers) Smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus babalus) Blacktail redhorse (Moxostoma poecilurum) For more information, visit our website: www.fws.gov/refuge/trinity_river/ Family Ictaluridae (Bullhead catfishes) Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) Yellow bullhead (A. natalis) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) Channel catfish (I. punctatus) Flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris) Contact the Refuge staff if you should find an unlisted or rare species during your visit and provide a description. Family Esocidae (Pickerels) Redfin (Chain) Pickerel (Esox americanus ) Family Lepisosteidae (Gars) Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) Longnose gar (L. osseus) Family Aphredoderidae (Pirate perch) Pirate perch (Aphredoderus sayanus) Family Amiidae (Bowfin) Bowfin (Amia calva) Family Clupeidae (Shads) Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) Threadfin shad (D. petenense) Family Mugilidae (Mullets) Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) Family Poeciliidae (Live bearers) Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Family Fundulidae (Killifishes) Golden topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus) Blackstripe topminnow (F. notatus) Blackspotted topminnow (F. olivaceus) Rainwater killifish (Lucania parva) Left, Bluegill. / USFWS Photograph Right, kids learn that fishing can be fun! © Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle Family Moronidae (Temperate basses) White bass (Morone chrysops) Family Centrarchidae (Black basses and sunfishes) Flier (Centrarchus macropterus) Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) Warmouth (L. gulosus) Orangespotted sunfish (L. humilis) Bluegill (L. macrochirus) Longear sunfish (L. megalotis) Redear sunfish (L. microlophus) Spotted sunfish (L. punctatus) Bantam sunfish (L. symmetricus) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) White crappie (Pomoxis annularis) Black crappie (P. nigromaculatus) Family Percidae (Walleye and darters) Bluntnose darter (Etheostoma chlorosomum) Slough darter (E. gracile) Family Sciaenidae (Drums) Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)