Where Does American Pickerel Live?

American Pickerel lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.

Where to find American Pickerel

Water type

freshwater

Depth

Shallow, typically less than 3 meters (10 feet)

Environment

Prefers clear, heavily vegetated, slow-moving waters such as swamps, marshes, small lakes, ponds, and the backwaters of streams and rivers. They are often found in dense aquatic vegetation (e.g., lily pads, cattails, submerged grasses) which they use for ambush predation and cover.

Geographic range

Eastern North America. The Redfin Pickerel (E. a. americanus) is found along the Atlantic slope from Maine to Florida. The Grass Pickerel (E. a. vermiculatus) is found in the Mississippi River basin and Great Lakes region, extending from southern Ontario and Quebec west to eastern Texas and north to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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