US Official State Fishes

Official State Fish Designations of the 50 US States

All fish share two traits: they live in water and they have a backbone—they are vertebrates. Fish are the gill-bearing aquatic craniate animals that lack limbs with digits. They form a sister group to the tunicates, together forming the olfactores

Separately from these likenesses, however, many of the species in this group differ noticeably from one another. Fin fish like salmon have gills, are covered in scales, and produce young by laying eggs. Eels, by contrast, have worm-like bodies and very slimy skin. Lungfish gulp air. Whale sharks, the largest fish, give birth to live young and eat only tiny fish, squid, and plankton.

Awarding ribbons in the Official State Fish symbol category was not difficult when we didn't pay too much attention to conflicting popular and scientific names. Of course four states have no official state fish at all: Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, and Ohio. Iowa has an un-official state fish. Other states have designated two Official State Fish, distinguishing them with labels such as Warm water, Coldwater, Saltwater or Marine, Sport, and Commercial. Some states have managed to walk away with two ribbons in the competition, picking two of the most popular official state fish.



US Official State Fish Designations

State Symbols

Fish - Species - Designations - Adopted

Alabama Largemouth bass
(Micropterus salmoides)
Alabama State Fresh water Fish
- 1975
Alabama Fighting tarpon
(Megalops atlanticus)
Alabama State Salt water Fish
- 1955
Alaska King salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Alaska State Fish
- 1962
Arizona Apache trout
(Salmo apache)
Arizona State Fish
- 1986
Arkansas NA
California Golden trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita)
California State Fish
- 1947
California Garibaldi
(Hypsypops rubicundus)
California State Marine Fish
- Oct 15, 1995
Colorado Greenback cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki stomias)
Colorado State Fish
- 1994
Connecticut American shad
(Alosa sapidissima)
Connecticut State Fish
- 2003
Delaware Weakfish
(Cynoscion genus)
Delaware State Fish - 1981
Florida Florida largemouth bass
(Micropterus salmoides floridanus)
Florida State Fresh water Fish - 2007
Florida Atlantic sailfish
(Istiophorus albicans)
Florida State Salt water Fish - 2007
Georgia Largemouth bass
(Micropterus salmoides)
Georgia State Fish - 1970
Georgia Southern Appalachian brook trout
Georgia cold water game fish - 2006
Georgia Red drum
Georgia salt-water fish - 2006
Hawaii Humuhumu
(Rhinecanthus rectangulus)
aka the rectangular triggerfish
Hawaii State Fish - 1985; May 2, 2006
Idaho Cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki)
Idaho State Fish - 1990
Illinois Bluegill
(Lepomis macrochirus)
Illinois State Fish - 1986
Indiana NA
Iowa Channel catfish
(Ictalurus punctatus)
Iowa State Fish (un-official)
Kansas NA
Kentucky Kentucky (spotted) bass
(Micropterus punctulatus)
Kentucky State Fish - 1956
Louisiana White perch
(Pomoxis annularis)
Louisiana State Fresh water Fish - 1993
Louisiana Spotted Sea Trout or Speckled Trout
(Cynoscion nebulosus)
Louisiana State Salt water Fish - 2001
Maine Landlocked Atlantic salmon
(Salmo salar Sebago)
Maine State Fish - 1969
Maine Eastern brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Maine State Heritage Fish
- 2005
Maine Artic Charr aka Blueback charr
(Salvelinus alpinus oquassa)
Maine State Heritage Fish - 2007
Maryland Rockfish or Striped bass
(Morone saxatilis)
Maryland State Fish - 1965
Massachusetts Cod
(Gadus morhua)
Massachusetts State Fish - 1974
Michigan Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Michigan State Fish - 1988
Minnesota Walleye
(Stizostedion vitreum vitreum)
Minnesota State Fish - 1965
Mississippi Largemouth bass
(Micropterus salmoides)
Mississippi State Fish - 1974
Missouri Channel catfish
(Ictalurus punctatus)
Missouri State Fish - 1997
Missouri Paddlefish or spoonbill
(Polyodon spathula)
Missouri State Aquatic Animal - 1997
Montana Blackspotted cutthroat trout
(Salmo clarki)
Montana State Fish - Feb 10, 1977
Nebraska Channel catfish
(
Ictalurus punctatus)
Nebraska State Fish - 1997
Nevada Lahontan cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi)
Nevada State Fish - 1981
New Hampshire Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
New Hampshire fresh water State Fish - 1994
New Hampshire Striped bass
(
Morone saxatilis)
New Hampshire State Saltwater Game Fish - 1972
New Jersey Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
New Jersey State Fish - 1991
New Mexico New Mexico Cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis)
New Mexico State Fish - 1955
New York Brook trout or Speckled trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
New York State Fresh water Fish - 1975
New York Striped bass
(Morone saxatilis)
New York State Marine or Salt water Fish  - 2006
North Carolina Channel Bass (red drum)
(Sciaenops ocellatus)
North Carolina State Salt water Fish
North Carolina Southern Appalachian Brook Trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
North Carolina State Fresh water Trout - 2005
North Dakota Northern pike
(Esox lucius)
North Dakota State Fish - 1971
Ohio NA
Oklahoma White Bass (sand bass)
(Morone chrysops)
Oklahoma State Fish - 1974
Oregon Chinook Salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Oregon State Fish - 1981
Pennsylvania Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Pennsylvania State Fish - 1970
Rhode Island Striped Bass
(Morone saxatilis)
Rhode Island State Fish - 2000
South Carolina Striped bass (rockfish)
(Morone saxatilis)
South Carolina State Fish - 1972
South Dakota Walleye
(Stizostedion vitreum)
South Dakota State Fish - 1982
Tennessee Channel catfish
(Ictalurus punctatus)
Tennessee State Commercial Fish - 1988
Tennessee Largemouth bass (Obsolete)
(Micropterus salmoides)
Tennessee State Sport Fish (Obsolete) - July 1, 1988
Tennessee Smallmouth bass (New)
(Micropterus dolomieu )
Tennessee State Sport Fish - May 28, 2005
Texas Guadalupe bass
(Micropterus treculi)
Texas State Fish - 1989
Texas Red drum
(Sciaenops ocellatus)
Texas State Saltwater fish
- 2011
Utah Bonneville cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki utah)
Utah State Fish - 1977
Vermont Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Vermont State Cold water Fish - 1978
Vermont Walleye
(Stizosedion vitreum vitreum)
Vermont State Warm water Fish - 1978
Virginia Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Virginia State Fish - 1993
Virginia Striped bass
(Morone saxatilis)
Virginia Sate Salt water Fish - 2011
Washington Steelhead trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Washington State Fish - 1969
West Virginia Brook trout
(Salvelinus fontinalis)
West Virginia State Fish - 1973
Wisconsin Muskellunge
(Esox masquinongy masquinongy Mitchell)
Wisconsin State Fish - 1955
Wyoming Cutthroat trout
(Salmo clarki)
Wyoming State Fish - 1987
Wyoming Knightia (prehistoric herring)
(Knightia eocaena)
Wyoming State Fossil Fish - 1987
State Fishes
State Fish