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, construction on the Amistad Dam began and was completed in November 1969. Shortly after and then onward, the reservoir was stocked with a host of fish intended to turn it into a recreational hot spot. The stocked fish include largemouth bass, catfish, and shad. While the reservoir is primarily known for its bass and catfish, there are many species present in the reservoir and thriving in their own niche withing the lake ecosystems.

The reservoir is filled by a number of rivers and tributaries, including the Pecos River, Rio Grande, and Devils River. Each of these rivers lends to the diversity of fish and ecosystems present in Lake Amistad, from the livebearers of the Pecos, to the darters of the Rio Grande, and of course the Devils 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 hosts 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