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Blue Sucker

Blue Sucker

The Blue Sucker is a slender, dark-colored fish with a distinctive long, sickle-shaped dorsal fin containing 28-33 rays. Blue Suckers have minimal importance to Iowa anglers and are extremely difficult to catch using normal fishing methods most of the year.

Scientific Name: Cycleptus elongatus

Physical Characteristics:
  • In Iowa, they display blue-black or dark olive backs and sides with brassy reflections and white bellies.
  • Breeding males become very dark with small tubercles covering most of their head, body and fins.
  • These large fish can reach 28-33 inches, with Iowa's state record being a 33.25-inch, 15.38-pound specimen caught from the Iowa River in 2011.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Blue Suckers are primarily distributed in Iowa's Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and the lower reaches of their larger tributaries.
  • They've never been documented in the upper reaches of Iowa's interior streams and are rarely found in fish collections.

Key Locations

  • Iowa's Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and the lower reaches of their larger tributaries, including the Cedar River, Des Moines River, Iowa River, and Little Sioux River.
  • Recent Master Angler catches include specimens from the Missouri River, Cedar River, and even Twelve Mile Creek Lake.
  • They're most likely found at the lower ends of tributaries to the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

Specific Spots

  • deep, swift channels with moderate to strong current over bottoms of gravel, sand, and rocks, particularly in areas with gravel, sand, and rock substrates where moderate to strong currents exist.

Blue Sucker FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

When is the best time to fish for Blue Sucker in Iowa?

Avoid fishing during their spawning period from late April to early May when water temperatures reach 50-60°F, as they migrate upstream to riffle areas.

How do you catch Blue Sucker in Iowa?

Steven Jones caught Iowa's state record Blue Sucker while fishing for walleyes with a jig in the Iowa River, suggesting that jigs may be effective when these fish are encountered.

What do Blue Sucker eat?

As bottom feeders, they consume aquatic insects and larvae, crustaceans, plant material, and algae in their typical vacuum-like feeding manner.

Where do Blue Sucker live in Iowa?

Blue Suckers are primarily distributed in Iowa's Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and the lower reaches of their larger tributaries. They've never been documented in the upper reaches of Iowa's interior streams and are rarely found in fish collections.

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