Freshwater · Summer best; June to September in warm shallows
Peamouth
Mylocheilus caurinus
A small native minnow best known as the main fish behind the lower Fraser's '小白鱼' name. Bony and poor eating, it is an identification-driven entry — but summer night shore fishing for it on tiny hooks and worms is a beginner and kid favourite around Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Tiny barbel at each corner of the small mouth — the key separator
- Two dark lengthwise stripes along the silvery side
- Small, blunt head with a slightly downturned mouth
- Breeding males flush red on the lips, cheeks and fin bases
- Slender body usually well under a foot long
Habits
- Schools in slow, warm shallows and sloughs in summer
- Feeds on insects, crustaceans and algae picked from bottom and surface
- Most active at dusk and after dark in summer
- Spawns in late spring in shallow water over gravel
- A staple forage fish for larger predators in the Fraser system
Distribution
Where to find them
- Lower Fraser sloughs and backwaters in the Fraser Valley
- Vancouver-area lake margins and creek mouths at dusk
- Slow Okanagan and coastal lake shallows in summer
Where they live
How to catch them
Night shore fishing with tiny hooks Shore
Rig: Light rod, small float or light sinker, size 12-16 hook with a tiny worm piece, fished from shore after dusk
Bait/lure: Worm pieces
Key tip: Fish warm summer evenings in slow sloughs — bites are light, so watch the float closely.
Micro float fishing by day Shore
Rig: Ultralight tackle, small float and micro jig or bread bit around docks and weed edges
Bait/lure: Bread bits, micro jigs
Key tip: Keep baits tiny — a peamouth mouth is very small and big hooks miss bites.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Ultralight 5-6 ft spinning rod
- Line: 2-4 lb mono
- Terminal: Size 12-16 hooks, small floats, split shot
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
9' 5-weight fly rod outfit
≈ US$180-260
Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.
Flies · Budget
Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)
≈ US$25-40
Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.
Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.
Typical size
Common 6-10 in; large fish to about 14 in
On the table
Poor — very bony and soft; almost always released.
Similar species
Northern PikeminnowNorthern pikeminnow is far larger with a huge duck-bill mouth and no barbels; peamouth has a tiny mouth, corner barbels and two dark stripes
Lake ChubLake chub is a small upland and northern fish with a single faint stripe and no red breeding flush; peamouth is the larger lowland Fraser fish with two bold stripes and red on breeding malesRegulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
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