Fish

Amistad Gambusia is just one of the many species of fish that have inhabited this area at one time or another.

Chad Thomas

This guide includes all fish confirmed within Amistad National Recreation Area by the official NPS species database. This includes portions of the Rio Grande, Pecos, and Devils river, as well as the reservoir itself. Some species listed are found in the nearby San Felipe Springs only.

In 1964 Amistad Dam began construction and was completed in November 1969. Shortly after and then onward, the reservoir has been stocked with a host of fish intended to turn it into a recreational hot spot, including largemouth bass, catfish, and shad. While the reservoir is primarily known for its bass and catfish, there are a great many species that are present in the reservoir, each adding their own niche to the lake.

The reservoir is filled by a number of rivers and tributaries including the Pecos River, Rio Grande, and Devil’s river. Each of these rivers offers something to the diversity present at Amistad, from the livebearers of the Pecos, to the darters of the Rio Grande, and of course the Devil’s River minnow. The reservoir itself is a completely different ecosystem from the fast moving riffles and streams that feed it. The water is deep, filled with plants such as hydrilla and pondweed, and host a rocky limestone substrate. Due to these differences, at least 50 species are known to call this park home.

Sunfish
Black Basses
Temperate Basses and Crappie
Cichlid and Drums
Catfish
Gar
Shad
Silversides
Darters and Walleyes
Livebearers and Killifish
Minnows and Carps
Others