A world measured in inches.

Bluntnose Minnow

I often run across little streams on my nature walks. We’re all familiar with rivers and creeks, but streams (often called runs) are a lot smaller. They are sometimes irregular (not flowing year-round) and they are often just a few feet or less across.

Here’s a classic example of a stream that runs through Little Darby Preserve in Madison County Ohio. Water drains from nearby fields into this stream, which ends up draining into Little Darby Creek (which is much larger).

I like to stand close by and observe what’s going on in these streams. Life abounds in them- insects, invertebrates, snakes swimming across, birds and animals drinking from them, and fish.

Above- a crawdad, a water strider insect, and a Wood Duck- all in various different streams.

I often see fish in streams. Occasionally there are bigger fish to be seen- I saw 2 carp in a stream near Kiser Lake this month- but most of the time the fish in streams are little minnows.

The above fish are Bluntnose Minnows.

The bluntnose minnow is the most common species of fish in Ohio. They are found in nearly every stream, river, and lake in the state.

I’ve always been fascinated by seeing these small fish in small streams. They live in a small space, often in shallow water. Once, near a fen, I saw minnows in a tiny water seep coming out of a spring in a woodland area. There was perhaps a depth of 2 inches of water there, but the spring had probably been flowing for centuries.

I always wondered how the fish repopulated these small streams.

These fish are gathered in a pool where a stream was drying up.

This shallow rocky stream had crystal-clear water. You can see the minnows moving around the rocks. They are typically less than 3 inches long.

Bluntnose minnows spawn repeatedly starting in May and continue into August. Males select the spawning site, usually under logs, branches or rocks in shallow water. They will also use artificial spawning sites in old tiles or pipes. Females lay adhesive eggs on the underside of whatever the male has chosen to spawn under. The male then aggressively defends the spawning site from other fish. Males also use the large spongy pad on the top of their body to clean the eggs the female has laid on the underside of the select object.

I’ve read that these fish live for 1-2 years. They can live through the winter going into a low-metabolism state, at least in ponds and lakes. They eat insects, small crustaceans, and algae.

You can often see these fish swimming against the current in the same spot next to each other, apparently waiting for the water flow to bring them floating insects. They’ll dive for cover if they see you moving around. Note the different sizes.

This small stream is in the Davey Woods Nature Preserve. The water is low in the summer but fish can be found in it everywhere.

Here is a group of minnows with a few catfish-type larger fish in that stream.

Note that the water is not very deep. These fish thrive there however. I’ve seen fish as late as December in streams moving around.

The following are different species I’ve seen.

Next time you pass by a stream, take a close look. You may be surprised at all of the life that you notice there!