E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

A large, deep-bodied fish with rough scales and well developed spines in the dorsal and anal fins. Dorsal spines (total): 46; Dorsal soft rays (total): 1314 (FishBase). This species is generally similar to the largemouth bass. Refer to McPhail (2008) for a detailed description and discussion on how to separate largemouth and smallmouth bass.

This eastern North American species was introduced into B.C. to provide angling opportunities and although it is a popular recreational species, it is not a native species and none of our native fishes have coevolved with this efficient predator. Consequently, it has a devastating impact on small species. On Vancouver Island, it has eliminated the native fish species and macroinvertebrates in most of the lakes where it has been introduced. Deliberately introducing this species to waters where it does not occur is an inexcusable act of ecological vandalism. The recent illicit introduction of this species into the Fraser system (in the Quesnel area) is cause for concern. If the smallmouth bass spreads in the Fraser system, it could have a serious impact on Pacific salmon populations.

North America: St. Lawrence-Great Lakes system, Hudson Bay and Mississippi River basins from southern Quebec in Canada to North Dakota and south to northern Alabama and eastern Oklahoma in the USA. Introduced into many countries for sport fishing. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.