Northern Hog Sucker
Hypentelium nigricans
The Northern Hog Sucker is a sturdy stream fish of clear, cool waters in the Mississippi, Ohio, and Great Lakes drainages. It feeds by rooting along the bottom for insect larvae, small crustaceans, and other benthic invertebrates.
Identification points
- Broad, flattened snout with a fleshy lower lip and subterminal mouth
- Dark body with 7-10 usually narrow vertical saddles or bars
- Large, obvious scales and a stout cylindrical body with a deeply forked tail
Habitat
Medium to large clear rivers and big creeks with moderate to strong current, gravel, rubble, sand, or bedrock bottoms, often near riffles, runs, and swift shoals.
Bait notes
Use small pieces of worm, crayfish tail, redworms, salmon eggs, or dead-drifted nymphs; small panfish jigs and soft plastics can also work. Light tackle matters because they mouth bait gently.
Behavior
A bottom-oriented sucker that uses its fleshy snout to flip stones and graze the streambed for aquatic insect larvae, snails, and crustaceans. Often active in daylight and holds close to current breaks and riffle edges.
Caution
none notable
Fishing notes
Fish upstream into riffles, seams, and current tongues with a small split shot rig or a drifted nymph near bottom. Set quickly on the first tap; they often test bait while staying close to cover.