Greater Redhorse
The greater redhorse is the largest sucker in Canada, native to select rivers and lakes in Ontario and Quebec.
It's a niche target — most anglers stumble across one while fishing for smallmouth or walleye — but those who seek it out find a big, clean-water fish that fights hard on light tackle and rewards patience in clear, fast-moving water.
Scientific Name: Moxostoma valenciennesi
- Largest of the redhorse suckers — averages around 46 cm and 2 kg, with fish to 80 cm and nearly 6 kg on record.
- Brassy gold scales along the flanks, with distinctly reddish-orange pectoral and pelvic fins that make it easy to separate from other suckers in hand.
- Large, rounded head with a small eye; slightly convex dorsal fin in adults; tail fin only shallowly forked — a bottom-feeding body plan built for current.
- Heavy, comb-like pharyngeal (throat) teeth designed for crushing mollusks — a key ID feature that separates it from river redhorse, which has molar-like teeth.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to Ontario and Quebec — the Canadian range is limited, centered on the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence drainage system.
- The Grand River in Ontario holds one of the strongest populations on the continent; the Ottawa River system is another documented stronghold in Canada.
- Requires clean, clear water — this fish cannot tolerate even mild pollution or heavy siltation, so it's largely absent from degraded watersheds.
- Found in large rivers with moderate to fast current, and in both shallow and deeper sections of some lakes connected to those systems.
Key Locations
- Grand River, Ontario — one of the strongest greater redhorse populations in the species' entire range, well documented in fisheries research.
- Ottawa River system — confirmed catches reported by anglers; a known population in this large border river between Ontario and Quebec.
Specific Spots
- In summer, look for them in low-velocity runs and deep pools just downstream of riffles — they feed on the bottom where current slows enough to let food settle.
- During the spawning run, fish gather in large schools over gravel and rubble shoals in moderate to swift current — the most reliable time to find concentrations.
- Rocky or gravelly bottom transitions between fast and slow water are consistent holding spots; the fish use the current break to intercept drifting invertebrates.
- In clear water, you can spot them visually — wade downstream and look for large, brassy shapes nosing along the bottom in runs 1–3 feet deep.
Greater Redhorse FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Greater Redhorse?
Live earthworms on a bottom rig are the standard bait, drift them through runs and pools, keeping contact with the bottom where the fish feed. Small crayfish or crayfish-imitation soft plastics can work, especially in rocky runs; fish them slowly along the bottom with minimal action.
When is the best time to fish for Greater Redhorse?
Late spring spawning run, when water hits the low-to-mid 60s°F, is the most reliable window; fish are concentrated, active, and visible on gravel shoals. Summer fishing is possible but requires more searching; fish hold in deeper runs and pools and are more spread out after spawning.
How do you catch Greater Redhorse?
Most Canadian anglers fish for greater redhorse from shore or by wading, using a simple bottom rig with worms during the late-spring spawning run when fish are concentrated on gravel shoals.
What do Greater Redhorse eat?
Feeds primarily on aquatic insect larvae, caddisflies, mayfly nymphs, stoneflies, and small mollusks like snails and clams, which those heavy pharyngeal teeth are built to crush. Bottom-bounced worms or crayfish imitations put in front of a feeding fish will draw strikes.
Where do Greater Redhorse live?
Native to Ontario and Quebec, the Canadian range is limited, centered on the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence drainage system. The Grand River in Ontario holds one of the strongest populations on the continent; the Ottawa River system is another documented stronghold in Canada.
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