Shorthead Redhorse Sucker
Shorthead redhorse are river suckers that most Canadian anglers walk right past — and miss out on. Found across southern Ontario, Quebec, and into the Prairie provinces, they run clean, rocky rivers in spring and put up a real tussle on light tackle.
They feed like trout, rooting insects and invertebrates from gravel and rubble, and they're genuinely challenging to hook well.
Scientific Name: Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Also known as Redhorse, redhorse sucker
- Sides golden to silvery, back olive-brown with golden reflections, belly white to yellow — a cleaner, brighter look than a common white sucker.
- The giveaway: bright red or orange-red fins, especially the tail. No other Canadian sucker in the same rivers has that coloration.
- Shorter, blunter head than river or greater redhorse — the "shorthead" name is literal and useful for ID when you have two species in hand.
- Typical fish run 1–3 lbs; larger specimens push 5 lbs and are genuinely big for the species in Canadian waters.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native across a broad swath of Canada — southern Ontario (including the Grand River and St. Clair River drainages), Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
- A river fish at heart: moderately large streams and rivers with sand, gravel, or rocky bottoms and enough current to keep the substrate clean and silt-free.
- Shares water with silver redhorse and greater redhorse in Ontario rivers; the three species often overlap during spring spawning runs.
- Sensitive to siltation and poor water quality — finding shorthead redhorse in a river is a reliable sign the water is in decent shape.
Key Locations
- Grand River, Ontario — a well-known Ontario fishery where multiple redhorse species, including shorthead, are caught during spring runs.
- St. Clair River, Ontario — documented shorthead redhorse population; subject of Canadian water-quality research involving this species.
- Southern Quebec rivers — part of the species' native Quebec range, where they share water with silver and greater redhorse.
- Manitoba and Saskatchewan river systems — shorthead redhorse reach the Prairie provinces, occupying larger rivers with suitable gravel substrate.
Specific Spots
- Current-edge breaks and the reverse-flow side of large eddies — fish hold where they can intercept drifting invertebrates without fighting full current.
- Gravel and rubble runs with moderate-to-strong flow; they actively root the substrate here, so a bait sitting on clean gravel in moving water is in the right zone.
- Avoid dead-slow pools and silty flats — shorthead redhorse need oxygenated, clean-bottomed water and won't hold long in slack, murky areas.
Shorthead Redhorse Sucker FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Shorthead Redhorse Sucker?
Worms are the standard bait, pieces or half a worm threaded onto a small hook, cast into current breaks and gravel runs. Fresh, lively bait matters; dead worms catch catfish, not redhorse.
What flies work for Shorthead Redhorse Sucker?
Small nymphs fished on a dead-drift (allowed to tumble naturally with the current along the bottom) are the most effective fly approach, Pheasant Tails and Hare's Ears imitate the mayfly nymphs and general invertebrates shorthead redhorse root from gravel.
When is the best time to fish for Shorthead Redhorse Sucker?
Spring (water 10–18°C): peak season as fish move onto gravel to spawn, the most concentrated and predictable fishing of the year. Early spring overlap: shorthead redhorse often run alongside silver redhorse and white suckers, so mixed-species days are common on Ontario and Quebec rivers.
How do you catch Shorthead Redhorse Sucker?
Spring is the prime window in Canada, when shorthead redhorse concentrate on gravel runs to spawn and are easiest to find. Shore fishing with light spinning gear and worm on a small hook, cast to current edges and eddy seams, is the most common approach.
What do Shorthead Redhorse Sucker eat?
Insects and aquatic invertebrates, mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, midges, and similar bottom-dwelling bugs, rooted directly from gravel and rubble rather than intercepted mid-column. This is why dead bait doesn't work; the bait needs to be alive and moving.
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