Cisco
Cisco are cold, clear-water fish of the northern lakes — a schooling salmonid that spends most of its life suspended in open water, often hundreds of feet down. Native to the Great Lakes basin and the lake country stretching across Canada and the northern U.
S. , they're a winter specialist's target: most productive through the ice, when schools stack in the deep basins and light-tackle jigging produces fast, finesse-driven action.
Scientific Name: Coregonus artedi
Also known as Lake Herring, Tullibee, Northern Cisco
- Slender and silvery with a blue-green back, white belly, and a subtle pink-to-purple iridescence along the sides — almost metallic in good light.
- Fins are nearly transparent except for dark tips on the tail and dorsal fin; a useful field mark when distinguishing them from similar species.
- The lower jaw is shorter than or equal to the upper jaw (an underbite), which separates cisco from lake whitefish, which have a pronounced overbite.
- Most fish run 10–18 inches; the maximum on record is just over 22 inches and 7.5 lbs, though size varies considerably by lake.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- A cold-water specialist of deep, clear lakes and large rivers across Canada and the northern U.S., from the Great Lakes basin west through the upper Mississippi drainage and into the Northwest Territories.
- Rarely tolerates water above 63–64°F — in summer, cisco retreat to the coldest, most oxygen-rich depths available, which can push them down to 270–450 feet in stratified lakes.
- Pelagic by nature: cisco live in open water rather than near the bottom or along shoreline structure, which sets them apart from most other freshwater targets.
Specific Spots
- Main-lake basins over deep water are the primary zone — cisco suspend in the water column rather than relating to bottom structure, so depth and dissolved oxygen matter more than physical features.
- In winter, schools concentrate at specific suspended depths (commonly 40–80 feet) where oxygen levels are optimal; a flasher or sonar unit is the only reliable way to find them.
- During fall and early winter spawning, fish move into shallower water — as little as 3–10 feet — before returning to deep basins.
Cisco FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Cisco?
Small jigging spoons in the 1/16 to 1/8 oz range are the go-to, silver, gold, or glow finishes that flash and flutter on the drop to mimic zooplankton or tiny baitfish.
What do Cisco eat?
Zooplankton, copepods and amphipods, make up the bulk of the diet across all size classes, which is why small, flashy lures and tiny live baits outfish larger presentations.
Where do Cisco live?
A cold-water specialist of deep, clear lakes and large rivers across Canada and the northern U.S., from the Great Lakes basin west through the upper Mississippi drainage and into the Northwest Territories.
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