Prickly Sculpin

Body Type & Identification: A small, wide-headed, bottom-dwelling fish with prominent spiny fin rays and a broad, flat head. Mottled brown to olive matching rocky and gravel stream bottoms. Large pectoral fins spread like wings when resting on the bottom. An important prey species for larger trout and bass in western rivers — often called "Miller's Thumb."

Preferred Water Temperature: 50°F–65°F. A cold to cool water species found on the bottom of clear streams, rivers, and lakes throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin drainage and coastal California streams. Hides under rocks and in gravel — an important invertebrate feeder.

Habitat: Rocky and gravel-bottom streams, rivers, and lake margins of the Sacramento-San Joaquin system and coastal California. Found under rocks in riffles and runs — often the most abundant bottom fish in healthy California trout streams. An important indicator of stream health.

Best Lures: Not typically targeted — primarily a bycatch and baitfish species.

Best Baits: Caught incidentally on small baits near the bottom. Used as excellent live bait for large trout and Smallmouth Bass in western rivers. Flip rocks in riffles to find them — a hand net is useful for collecting them as bait where legal.

Top 5 Destinations: Not a sport fishing target — found in virtually every clear California trout stream.