Ninespine Stickleback
The ninespine stickleback is a tiny native fish found across Canada from the prairies to the Maritimes and into the Arctic.
Rarely exceeding two inches, it's not a sport fish in the traditional sense — but it matters to micro-fishing enthusiasts, naturalists, and anyone who wants to understand the small-fish layer of Canadian waters.
It's also important forage for trout, pike, and birds.
Also known as Ten-spined stickleback, épinoche à neuf épines
- Very slender body tapering to a narrow caudal peduncle; fan-shaped tail fin — more elongated than the threespine stickleback.
- 8–12 short dorsal spines (despite the name); no bony plates along the sides, unlike some other sticklebacks.
- Coloring runs gray, green, or olive on the back and sides with white belly and dark mottling; can appear almost black overall.
- Typical size 1.5–2.25 inches; maximum around 3.5 inches — one of the smallest fish in Canadian fresh water.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native across Canada; found in all provinces and territories, with the greatest diversity of stickleback species in the Maritimes.
- Common from the prairies through Ontario, Quebec, and into Atlantic Canada; also present across northern Canada including Baffin Island and the Arctic Coastal Plain.
- Lives in both fresh water and brackish coastal habitats — tidal streams, salt marshes, shallow lakes, ponds, and slow weedy streams.
- Tolerates a wide range of conditions, from cold subarctic lakes to warm, vegetated coastal marshes.
Key Locations
- Prince Edward Island (e.g., Morel area) — coastal and freshwater populations accessible to micro-fishers.
- Southern Baffin Island, Nunavut — documented populations in subarctic lakes and streams.
- Atlantic coastal marshes and tidal streams across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI — brackish-water populations common near saltwater influence.
- Prairie lakes and ponds through Manitoba and Saskatchewan — freshwater populations common alongside brook stickleback.
Specific Spots
- Dense aquatic vegetation is the key — weeds give cover from predators and provide nest-building material for males during spawn.
- Shallow margins of lakes and ponds, especially where emergent or submerged plants are thick; rarely found in open, deep water.
- Tidal creek mouths and salt-marsh channels along Atlantic and Pacific coasts, particularly just above the saltwater influence.
- Slow backwater pools and weedy edges of streams rather than fast main-channel current.
Ninespine Stickleback FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Ninespine Stickleback?
Small pieces of earthworm or a single maggot on a micro hook are the most reliable baits; the fish's tiny mouth rules out anything larger. A small dip net or fine-mesh seine is often used by naturalists and micro-fishers to collect them from weedy shallows, legal methods vary by province.
When is the best time to fish for Ninespine Stickleback?
Spring and early summer, fish move into shallow weedy areas and tidal freshwater zones to spawn, making them most visible and accessible. Summer, remain in vegetated shallows through the warm months; easiest to find and observe.
How do you catch Ninespine Stickleback?
Ninespine sticklebacks are targeted almost exclusively by micro-fishing enthusiasts working weedy shallows from shore. A tiny baited hook fished under a small float in vegetated margins is the standard method; a fine-mesh dip net works for catch-and-observe.
What do Ninespine Stickleback eat?
Feeds mainly on zooplankton (tiny crustaceans like copepods and water fleas) and chironomid midge larvae, the same invertebrates that draw trout to shallow weedy bays.
Where do Ninespine Stickleback live?
Native across Canada; found in all provinces and territories, with the greatest diversity of stickleback species in the Maritimes. Common from the prairies through Ontario, Quebec, and into Atlantic Canada; also present across northern Canada including Baffin Island and the Arctic Coastal Plain.
See it in the app
Most maps show you water.
onWater shows you Ninespine Stickleback.
- 01 · Species map filter
Map every Ninespine Stickleback water
Pick Ninespine Stickleback and the map zeroes in on the waters they call home. No more guessing which lake holds them.
- 02 · Waterbody species
Tap any water. See what lives there.
Species, behavior and seasonal patterns for every lake, river and pond, before you leave the driveway.
- 03 · Angler Intelligence
Ask how to catch Ninespine Stickleback
Tactics, gear and timing from onWater's AI fishing guide, tuned to the species and the water you're on.
Stop guessing where Ninespine Stickleback are.
Open the map, filter by Ninespine Stickleback, and head to water that holds them. Download onWater and plan your next trip in minutes.
- Species map filter
- Angler Intelligence
- Fishing journal
Explore other species
Trout, bass, salmon, panfish and everything in between. Each guide unpacks the behavior, seasons, and tactics that put fish in the net.
No species information available.
Smarter Fishing Starts in the App.
onWater Fish gives you everything you need to plan smarter, fish better, and own every trip from first cast to last.