Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius)

The Colorado pikeminnow is the largest minnow in North America and is an endangered, native fish of the Colorado River thought to have evolved more than 3 million years ago. Called the “white salmon” by early settlers due to its migratory behavior, the Colorado pikeminnow has a torpedo-shaped body and a large, toothless mouth. It has an olive-green and gold back and a silvery-white belly.

Colorado pikeminnow can live up to 40 years and were historically known to grow to nearly 6 feet long and weight 80 pounds. Today, researchers commonly see adult Colorado pikeminnow that are 2 to 3 feet in length. Colorado pikeminnow are known for long-distance spawning migrations of more than 200 miles in late spring and early summer. They are capable of reproducing at 5 to 7 years of age. Young Colorado pikeminnow feed on insects and plankton, whereas adults feed mostly on fish.

The Colorado pikeminnow was a valued food source by early settlers. Dale Stewart of Vernal, Utah, caught a 25-pound Colorado pikeminnow in 1937. He reminisced about the fish’s food value. “You can see how you cut steaks off that thing,” he said. “I remember a fish like that really was a harvest, and it produced not just one meal, but quite a few meals for the family.”

The Colorado pikeminnow was the Colorado River’s top predator in the early 1900s and has been known to take anglers’ bait in the form of mice, birds, and even small rabbits, despite that its only “teeth” are found on a bony, circular structure located deep within its throat. This fish also readily strikes lures and live bait used to catch sport fish or nonnative fish.

Status and distribution

Listed as endangered by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1967; given full protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Listed as endangered under Colorado law in 1976; status changed to threatened in 1998.
Protected under Utah law since 1973.

USFWS biologist Ben Schleicher displaying a Colorado Pikeminnow captured on the Colorado River near Grand Junction Colorado while conducting native fish surveys

USFWS biologist Jason Davis holding a Colorado pikeminnow collected on the San Juan River near Farmington New Mexico

Zach Ehrens displaying an endangered Colorado pikeminnow collected on the Colorado River near Moab Utah

Danielle Tremblay holding a Colorado pikeminnow collected on the Colorado River in Grand Junction

USFWS biologist Bobby Duran displaying a Colorado Pikeminnow captured on the San Juan River near Farmington New Mexico while conducting native fish surveys

USFWS biologist Ernie Teller displaying a captured Colorado Pikeminnow before releasing it back into the San Juan River

U.S Fish and Wildlife biologist Travis Francis holds a large Colorado pikeminnow captured on the Colorado River during research and monitoring efforts.

Ben Schleicher and Darek Elverud with USFWS displaying two Colorado Pikeminnow that swam through the Redlands Diversion Dam Fish Passage before releasing them into the Gunnison River 3 Aug 2016

A photo of a Colorado Pikeminnow that was captured in the Redlands Diversion Dam Fish Passage on the Gunnison River in Orchard Mesa Colorado August 2015

CPW biologist Lori Martin displaying a Colorado Pikeminnow captured on the Colorado River near Grand Junction Colorado while conducting native fish surveys

Tildon Jones with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service holding a large Colorado Pikeminnow captured on the Green River while conducting population estimates

Rick Smaniotto with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service holding a large Colorado Pikeminnow that swam up the Redlands Diversion Dam Fish Passage on the Gunnison River in Orchard Mesa Colorado

Colorado Pikeminnow Story Map

The Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative, founded in 2017 by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources identifies and protects connective corridors that allow fish and wildlife to migrate to necessary habitat areas around Utah. The Initiative uses state-of-the-art technology to identify migration and movement patterns for numerous native species. To learn more about Colorado pikeminnow, check out the Story Map below that was produced by the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative.

Click to view the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative Colorado Pikeminnow Story Map