Light olive-brown to yellow on top, with a white or cream belly. It can be immediately distinguished from other bullheads by the white or cream-colored barbels or whiskers on the chin. The tail is rounded. There are 24 to 27, usually 25 or 26, rays in the anal fin. Primarily a species of lakes and ponds; abundant nowhere in the state.
Taken occasionally in the flowing water of major interior rivers and the Mississippi River, but favors clear water. Occasionally found in the man-made lakes, farm ponds and oxbow lakes. Yellow Bullheads are somewhat more selective in their feeding than other bullheads, but the principal foods are insects and larvae, crustaceans, small mollusks, crayfish, and small fishes.
Yellow Bullhead are found in clear streams, rivers, overflow pools, lakes and reservoirs. It prefers streams with permanent flow, but avoids strong currents. Males build nests and female deposits 2, to 7, eggs. Eggs hatch in 5 to 10 days, and the fry are guarded by the parent fish until late July or August. They reach about 3-inches long at the end of the first year and mature in the third year of life. Individuals weighing as much as 2-pounds are taken from the Mississippi River.
Recent stream sampling information is available from Iowa DNR's biological monitoring and assessment program. Harlan, J. Speaker, and J. Iowa fish and fishing. Loan-Wilsey, A. Pierce, K. Kane, P. Brown and R. Skip to main content. Official State of Iowa Website. Yellow Bullhead. Emmet 3m SE Gruver A good access point is East Park in Mason City. It offers excellent shore access to the river and a good starting point for a float trip down to the Averydale Access.
West Okoboji Lake. East Okoboji Lake. Lost Island Lake. Silver Lake Dickinson. Five Island Lake. Lake Macbride. West Swan Lake S. Lake Manawa. Lake Icaria. Twelve Mile Creek Lake. Little Spirit Lake. Swan Lake. Ingham Lake. Brinker Lake. Elk Lake.
