The rock bass has a vorascious apitite and loves to consume minnows and crayfish, which is also a mainstay of larger fish.

The rock bass is native to the north-eastern United States and south-eastern Canada, though they have been successfully introduced into southern states via the Mississippi valley and north to southern Manitoba. They are easily adapted to any lakes and rivers that largemouth bass can be found. They do not like fast flowing water, preferring slow moving rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

In Canada, they range from east Manitoba to Quebec and southward through the Great Lakes to the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf of Mexico. They can also be found in the lakes and rivers of Appalachian Mountains.

They are found in Quebec and go as far north as the James Bay tributaries. In southern Manitoba, rock bass are found in the Lake Winnipeg watershed and in eastern Saskatchewan, they can be found in the Qu’Appelle River.

In all of their habitats, the rock bass can be found in freshwater with moderate to low turbidity, though they can withstand high levels of turbidity.

Invasive Fish

The rock bass has a vorascious apitite and loves to consume minnows and crayfish, which is also a mainstay of larger fish like the Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and northern pike.

Moreover, they have an early spawning cycle, starting as early as March in the southern states. There spawning is short, giving them a head start on other fish species and leaving less food around. Most fish species are not threatened by their presence.

Populations of smallmouth bass and largemoth bass would be bigger of course, but species like the Roanoke Bass, due to their limited range, are adversely threatened. They are also threatened because the Roanoke Bass are able to breed with Rock Bass, reducing the amount of pure strain Roanoke Bass.