1. Home
  2. Digital Manual
  3. Culinary
  4. American Fish Species

American Fish Species

Gary Prell

Gary Prell

Last updated on May 28, 2015

Saltwater

Name Location Season Description
Anchovy Pacific Coastline & Delaware Bay Yr. Usually served as an ingedient in other preparations.
Bluefish/Blue Runner New England & Gulf States May-Nov Dark, oily flesh. 3-6 pounds each.
Butterfish/Dollar Fish/Harvest Fish Northeast Coastline & Chesapeake Bay May-Nov Light, delicate flesh. 3-12 ounces each.
Cod/Scrod/True Cod New England & Pacific Coastline Mar-Sept White, flaky, lean flesh. 1-20 pounds each.
Croaker/Hard Head/King Belly Mid-Atlantic & Gulf Coastline Mar-Oct Light, lean flesh. 1/2-2 pounds each.
Cusk/Tusk/Torsk New England Feb-July Soft, white, lean, delicate flesh. 1-15 pounds each.
Dolphin/Dorado/Mahi Mahi Hawaii, Gulf & Florida Coastlines Yr. Firm, off-white flesh. 5-15 pounds each.
Eel Cape Charles, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay Yr. Flaky, off-white flesh.
Flounder/BlackbackFluke/Plaice/Dabs New England, Mid-Atlantic & Pacific Coastlines Yr. Flaky, light, delicate flesh. 3/4-4 pounds each.
Grouper/Black, Yellow, Nassau/Gag Florida & Gulf Coastlines April-Dec Firm, lean flesh. 4-15 pounds each.
Haddock North Atlantic Coastline Yr. White, flaky, lean flesh. 3-4 pounds each.
Hake/Ling New England, Mid-Atlantic & Pacific Coastlines June-Sept White, flaky, lean flesh. 2-6 pounds each.
Halibut New England, Alaskan, & Washington Coastlines Mar-Aug Flaky, white, delicate flesh. 5-70 pounds each.
Lingcod/Blue Cod/Buffalo Cod/Cultis Cod California and Alaskan Coastlines Yr. White, tender delicate flesh. 5-20 pounds each.
Mackerel/Spanish,Atlantic,King Atlantic, Pacific & Gulf Coastlines Yr. Firm, oily flesh. 1/2-3 pounds each.
Monkfish/Anglerfish/Goosefish New England Mar-Oct White, firm flesh. 3-8 punds each.
Mullet/Florida, Black, Striped Florida & Gulf Coastlines April-Nov Tender, firm flesh. 1-3 pounds each.
Ocean Perch/Redfish/Longjaw Rockfish New England, Alaskan, & California Coastlines May-July Firm, lean, white flaky flesh. 1/2-3 pounds each.
Pollack/Boston Bluefish New England, Mid-Atlantic & Alaskan Coastlines Oct-Dec White, lean flesh. 2-12 pounds each.
Pompano/Cobblerfish/Butterfish/Palamenta Mid-Atlantic & Florida Coastlines Mar-May Firm, white, oily flesh. 3/4-4 pounds each
Porgy/Scup New England & Mid-Atlantic Coastlines April-Sept Flaky, tender, off-white flesh. 1/2-2 pounds each.
Redfish/Channel Bass/Red Drum/Red Bass South Atlantic, Florida & Gulf Coastlines Nov-Feb Light, tender, firm flesh. 1-8 pounds each.
Red Snapper/Mexican Snapper South Atlantic, Florida & Gulf Coastlines Yr. Delicate, lean, white flesh. 2-8 pounds each.
Rockfish/Orange,Yellowtail, Red California, Oregon & Washington Coastlines Yr. Firm, white, fine-textured flesh. 4-25 pounds each.
Sablefish/Black Cod Pacific & Alaskan Coastlines Yr. White, flaky, lean flesh. 8-40 pounds each.
Salmon/King, Sliver, Red, Pink, Chum Atlantic, Pacific & Alaskan Coastlines June-Sept Pink to red, flaky, oily flesh. 2-30 pounds each.
Sea Bass/Black, White, Striped New England, Mid-Atlantic & Pacific Coastlines May-Sept Firm, white flesh. 1-5 pounds each.
Shad Eastern Coastal Rivers & Pacific Coastline Feb-July Flaky, off-white, oily flesh. 3/4-3 pounds each.
Shark Pacific, Florida & Gulf Coastlines Yr. Firm, off-white flesh. 10-40 pounds each.
Skate/Sting Ray California, New England, & Mid-Atlantic Coastlines May-Sept Flaky, white, tender flesh. 2-4 pounds each.
Sheepshead Florida & Gulf Coastlines April-Nov White, flaky, tender flesh. 1-5 pounds each.
Sole/Gray, Lemon, Petrale, English Atlantic & Pacific Coastlines Yr. Firm, lean, white, delicate flesh. 1-6 pounds each
Spot/Lafayette/Goody Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coastlines July-Nov Lean, flaky, off-white flesh. 1/4-1 pound each.
Swordfish Pacific, Hawaiian & New England Coastlines Oct-April Firm, light pink, oily flesh. 100-200 pounds each.
Tilefish New England & Mid-Atlantic Coastlines April-Sept Delicate, lean, white flesh. 4-7 pounds each.
Tuna/Albacore/Yellow & Blue Fin Pacific, Atlantic, Hawaiian & Alaskan Coastlines April-Nov Firm, white to dark, oily flesh. 50-150 pounds each.
Trout/Weakfish Mid-Atlantic Coastline May-Oct Flaky, oily, off-white to dark flesh. 1-5 pounds each.
Whiting/Silver Hake/Silver Perch New England & Mid-Atlantic Coastlines May-Oct Firm, lean, white flaky flesh. 1/2-5 pounds each.

Freshwater

Name Location/s Season Description
Buffalofish/Rooter/Prarie Great Lakes & Mississippi River Feb-Aug Soft, flaky, white, lean flesh. 2-8 pounds each.
Carp Great Lakes & Mississippi River Dec-June Lean, firm, off-white flesh. 2-20 pounds each.
Catfish Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Louisiana Yr. Tender, white, oily flesh. 2-10 pounds each.
Chub/Bluefin/Blackfin/Tullibee Lakes Michigan & Superior June-Dec Soft, delicate, flaky flesh. 1/3-2 pounds each.
Lake Herring/Blueback Great Lakes Yr. Tender, off-white, oily flesh. 1/2-1 pound each.
Northern Pike/Lake Pickerel/Grass Pike Great Lakes, Minnesota, Wisconsin Yr. Lean, firm, flaky, white flesh. 1/2-12 pounds each.
Sheepshead/Freshwater Drum Great Lakes & Mississippi River April-June White, lean, flaky flesh. 3/4-5 pounds each.
Lake Sturgeon/Atlantic Sturgeon Columbia River & Georgia, Louisiana, So. Carolina Yr. Firm, delicate, oily flesh. 8-20 pounds each.
Trout/Lake, Rainbow Pacific and Rocky Mountain Lakes and Rivers May-Oct Flaky, oily, off-white to dark flesh. 1/2-5 pounds each.
Walleye/Pike-Perch Great Lakes, Minnesota, Wisconsin Yr. Lean, firm, flaky, white flesh. 1/2-8 pounds each.
Whitefish/Lake, Eastern, Inland Great Lakes May-Aug White, flaky, oily flesh. 1-4 pounds each.
Yellow Perch/Lake, Ringed, Striped Lakes Erie & Michigan April-Nov Lean, firm, white flesh. 1/4-3/4 pounds each.

Previous Manual Page In This Chapter:

Current Manual Page:
American Fish Species

Next Manual Page In This Chapter: