Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S4

ITIS Code: 168097          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The northern rock bass is widely distributed throughout the interior streams of Eastern Broadleaf Forest Subregion, where it is quite common (Harlan et al. 1987).  It is found throughout the Mississippi River but is absent from the Missouri River.  In the Central Plains Aquatic Subregion, the northern rock bass is confined to the Des Moines River drainage and the large natural lakes of northwest Iowa, where it is occasional to rare (Harlan et al. 1987) . 

Habitat Affinities:

The northern rock bass is found in deep pools, and undercut banks of clear, small to moderate sized permanent flow streams with unsilted bottoms of bedrock, gravel, boulders or limestone ledges (Clay 1975; Cross and Collins 1995; Douglas 1974; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). In its northern range the rock bass is found in lakes and reservoirs with cover provided by fallen timber, rocky shores or dense weeds (Becker 1983; Cross and Collins 1995; Eddy and Underhill 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Robison and Buchanan 1988). In Minnesota, it can also be found in creeks and lakes with mud bottoms (Eddy and Underhill 1974; Phillips et. al. 1982;). In Missouri, it prefers deep rocky-bottomed pools below riffles and is associated with water willow (Justicia), boulders or submerged logs. The northern rock bass avoids reservoirs and its young prefer protected backwaters and dense aquatic vegetation, such as parrotfeather (Myriophyllum) (Pflieger 1997). 

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=156]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review

((("STRAHLER" > 2 AND "STRAHLER" <= 3) AND ("MAXELEVR" > 3 AND

"MAXELEVR" <= 4) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1) OR

(( "STRAHLER" > 3 AND "STRAHLER" <= 4) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND

"MAXELEVR" > 2) OR

(( "STRAHLER" > 4 AND "STRAHLER" <= 5) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1))

Mississippi River Model:

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S19')

Overall Prediction:

((("STRAHLER" > 2 AND "STRAHLER" <= 3) AND ("MAXELEVR" > 3 AND

"MAXELEVR" <= 4) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1) OR

(( "STRAHLER" > 3 AND "STRAHLER" <= 4) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND

"MAXELEVR" > 2) OR

(( "STRAHLER" > 4 AND "STRAHLER" <= 5) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1))

 OR ("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S19')

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Call, R.E.  1890.  The fishes of the Des Moines basin.  Iowa Academy of Sciences 1 pt.2

(1890, 1891):43-56.

Clear Lake Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northwest

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Clear Lake, Iowa.

Cleary, R.E.  1956.  Summary of the cooperative exploratory fishing operations in the

Wisconsin-Illinois-Iowa sections of the Mississippi River- 1956.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Cleary, R.E.  1958.  Summary of 1958 electro-fishing surveys in pools 9 through 19-

Mississippi River.  Project F-53-R.   Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Cleary, R.E., and  J. Hlavacek.  1957.  Summary of 1957 UMRCC exploratory fishing in

pools 8 to13.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Coon, T.G.  1980.  Fish sampling data sheets. University of Missouri-Columbia,

Columbia, Missouri.

DeCook, R., and Cleary, R.E.  1960.  Fishing gear evaluation Mississippi River - 1960.

Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Decorah Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Decorah, Iowa.

Dowell, V.  1981.  Collections in Cedar River Basin, 1956-1981.  University of Northern

Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Eckblad, J.W.  1979.  A natural resource inventory of the aquatic habitats of the Volga

River recreation area with pre-impoundment predictions for the new lake.  Contract 8152. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Fairport Fish Management and Hatchery.  2003.  Field notes and unpublished reports.

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Fairport, Iowa.

Gelwicks, G., J. Heitke, and G. Simmons.  2002.  Contemporary fish survey.  Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Goellner, K.E.  1976.  Field Notes: 1949-1976.  Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Guttenberg Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Guttenberg, Iowa.

Iowa State University.  2002.  Miscellaneous field notes from fish surveys conducted by

faculty and students, 1972 and 1980.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State University Museum.  1985.  Collection of fishes catalog, 1878-1985.   Iowa

State University, Ames, Iowa.

Kaminski, M.T.  1996.  Smallmouth bass habitat and fish community relationships in

central Iowa streams.  Master’s thesis.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Kline, D., J. Golden, and M. Wade.  1975.  Mississippi River fishery classification

survey.  Project 75-III-C-116.  Job Completion Reports.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Lake MacBride Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports. 

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Solon, Iowa.

LGL Ecological Research Associates.  1981.  Study of fish in the main channel of the

Mississippi River between river miles 500 and 513.5.  Final Report.  Great II Fish and Wildlife Management Work Group and Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Rock Island, Illinois.

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program.  2002.   Pool 13 database, 1990-2001.  Upper

Midwest Environmental Science Center, Bellevue, Iowa.

Manchester Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Meek, S.E.  1892.  Report upon the fishes of Iowa, based upon observations and

collections mad during 1889, 1890, 1891.  Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 10(1890):217-248.

Menzel, B.W.  1983.  Field notes: northeast.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  1984.  Field notes: Des Moines-Skunk.  Iowa State University, Ames,

Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  1984.  Field notes: Iowa-Cedar.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  1999.  Field notes: Topeka shiner survey, 1999 in-channel collections. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  2000.  Field notes: Topeka shiner survey, 2000 in-channel collections. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W., and H.L. Fierstine.  1976.  A study of the effects of stream channelization

and bank stabilization on warmwater sport fish in Iowa: Subproject No. 5.  Effects of long-reach stream channelization on distribution and abundance of fishes.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract 14-16-0008-745.  Iowa Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Ames, Iowa.

Molamphy, T.J., and R.E. Cleary.  1960.  Administrative summary electro-fishing survey

of Iowa waters of Mississippi River - 1960.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Molamphy, T.J., and R.E. Cleary.  1960.  Administrative summary of the 1960 trap-net

survey of Iowa waters of Mississippi River.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Mount Mercy College Museum.  2002.  Vertebrate collection database report.  Mount

Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Museum of Zoology.  2002.  Division of Fishes collection database.  University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May, 2002)

Nord, R.C.  1967.  A compendium of fishery information on the Upper Mississippi River.

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

Olson, J.R.  1998.  Historic fish survey database.  Water Quality Bureau, Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paragamian, V.L.  1978.  Population dynamics of smallmouth bass in the Maquoketa

River and other Iowa streams: effects of habitat variation on the stream biota.  Project F-89-R-2, Study No. 602-1, Job No. 2.  Annual Performance Report.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paragamian, V.L.  1979.  Population dynamics of smallmouth bass in the Maquoketa

River and other Iowa streams: effects of habitat variation on the stream biota.  Project F-89-R-2, Study No. 602-2, Job No. 2.  Annual Performance Report.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paragamian, V.L.  1990.  Fish populations of Iowa rivers and streams.  Technical Bulletin

No. 3.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Schacht, B.  1967.  Cedar River survey: letter and notes to Harry Harrison, dated August

2, 1967.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Schmadeke, D.P. 1977.  An annotated list of fishes of the Shellrock River, Iowa. 

Master's thesis.  University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Smith, P.W,. and A.C. Lopinot.  1966.  The 1966 survey of fishes from the mouths of

Mississippi River tributaries, Appendix B, pp.226-233, Illinois State Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois.

Sullivan, D.J.  2000.  Fish communities and their relation to environmental factors in the

Eastern Iowa Basins in Iowa and Minnesota, 1996.  Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4194.  U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa City, Iowa.

UMRCC.  1953.  Revised species list- northern section of the river.  Pages 19-32 in

Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Meeting, Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Aadland, L.P.,  C.M. Cook, M.T. Negus, H.G. Drewes, and  C.S. Anderson.  1991.  Microhabitat preferences of selected stream fishes and community-oriented approach to instream flow assessments.  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  142 pp.

Bailey, R.M., J.E. Fitch, E.S. Herald, E.A. Lachner, C.C. Lindsey, C.R. Robins, and W.B. Scott.  1970.  A list of common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society Special Publication No. 6. 149 pp.

Beckman, W.C.  1940.  Increased growth rate of rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque), following reduction in the density of the population.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 70:143-148.

Funk, J.L.  1955.  Movement of stream fishes in Missouri.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 85:39-57.

Gelwick, F.P.  1990.   Longitudinal and temporal comparisons of riffle and pool fish assemblages in a northeastern Oklahoma Ozark stream.  Copeia 1990:1072-1082.

Gerking, S.D.  1953.  Evidence for the concepts of home range and territory in stream fishes.  Ecology 34:347-365.

Gross, M.R., and W.A. Nowell.  1980.  The reproductive biology of rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris (Centrarchidae), in Lake Opinicon, Ontario.  Copeia (3): 482-489.

Hallam, J.C.  1959.  Habitat and associated fauna of four species of fish in Ontario streams.  Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 16:147-173.

Keast, A.  1968.  Feeding of some Great Lakes fishes at low temperatures.  Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 25(6):1199-1218.

Keast, A.  1977.  Mechanisms expanding niche width and minimizing intraspecific competition in two centrarchid fishes.  Evolutionary Biology 10:333-395.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Koppelman, J.A.  1995.  Identification and distribution of genetic stocks of Ambloplites spp. in Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Final Report, D-J Project F-1-R-44, Study 1-32. 46 pp.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Livingstone, A.C.  1987.  Habitat use and food habits of young-of-year centrarchids in the Jack's Fork River. Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. 155 pp.

Lobb, M.D., III, and D.J. Orth.  1991.  Habitat use by an assemblage of fish in a large warmwater stream.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 120:65-78.

Manooch, C. S., III. 1984.  Fisherman's guide - fishes of the southeastern United States.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh. 362 pp.

Marteny, R.E.  1983.  Rock bass populations in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. 94 pp.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Probst, W.  1983.  Habitat use of centrarchids in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.  Master’s thesis, University of  Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  114 pp.

Purkett, C.A., Jr.  1958.  Growth of fishes in the Salt River, Missouri.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society  87(1957):116-131.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Schneberger, E.  1973.  Rock bass, life history, ecology, and management.  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 16 pp.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Sublette, J.E., M.D Hatch, and M. Sublette.  1990.  The fishes of New Mexico.  University New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  393 pp.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of the Native Fish Conservancy, http://www.nativefish.org.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Fish and Wildlife Information System, http://www.conservation.state.mo.us.