Lake Tahoe has a mix of native and introduced fish, with the most commonly noted species including Mackinaw (lake trout), rainbow trout, brown trout, and kokanee salmon. Other species reported in and around the lake include Lahontan cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, Tahoe sucker, tui chub, Paiute sculpin, Lahontan redside, Lahontan speckled dace, brook trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, brown bullhead, and even goldfish in some nonnative listings.

Quick Scoop

A simple way to think about it is:

  • Most popular game fish: Mackinaw, rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon.
  • Native fish: Lahontan cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, Tahoe sucker, tui chub, Paiute sculpin, Lahontan redside, Lahontan speckled dace.
  • Common non-native/warmwater species in some areas: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, brown bullhead.

Lake Tahoe’s fish community is pretty varied, but the cold-water trout and salmon are the ones most people usually mean when they ask about fishing the lake.