Identification and Naming
This profile follows Margariscus margarita, the scientific name attached to the Allegheny Pearl Dace record. Older pearl dace references may use a broader species concept that includes fish now identified separately.
That naming history matters when comparing range maps, photographs and size records. It is not sound to move every northern “pearl dace” observation onto this page.
Habitat and Natural Food
Adults use pools in upland creeks and small rivers, along with some ponds and lakes. Sand and gravel are commonly described substrates.
Food includes small crustaceans, insect larvae and algae. This mixed diet supports an omnivorous description, rather than treating the fish as exclusively insect-eating.
Size and Spawning
This is a small fish, but a dependable adult-size range under the exact current species concept was not established in the sources checked. Figures from a combined pearl dace account are not used as a precise maximum.
Spawning occurs in spring. Local conditions and identification should be considered before transferring details from one regional population to another.
Fishing Context
Pearl dace have been used as baitfish. That use does not establish that collection is allowed locally, and moving small fish between waters can also move unwanted species.
No tested bait or artificial-lure recommendation for catching this particular species is included.
More Than an Insect Eater
Algae can be part of the menu alongside tiny crustaceans and insects. This combination is a useful reminder that a small fish’s place in a stream food web is not always captured by a single label such as predator or grazer.
All Lakes With Allegheny Pearl Dace
Browse all lakes and reservoirs with confirmed Allegheny Pearl Dace records in our database, listed alphabetically.
Showing 1–24 of 74 lakes · Page 1 of 4
- Balsam Lake Lake, MN
- Bath Lake Cook, MN
- Bean Lake Lake, MN
- Beaver Hut Lake Lake, MN
- Beetle Lake Lake, MN
- Bensen Lake Lake, MN
- Birch Lake Cook, MN
- Bone Lake Lake, MN
- Camp Four Lake St. Louis, MN
- Dumbbell Lake Lake, MN
- Dyers Lake Cook, MN
- East Lake Lake, MN
- Eighteen Lake Lake, MN
- Eikala Lake Lake, MN
- Elbow Lake Cook, MN
- Esther Lake Cook, MN
- Finn Pond Lake, MN
- Fourmile Lake Cook, MN
- Glacier Pond Lake, MN
- Gogebic Lake Cook, MN
- Goldeneye Lake Lake, MN
- Green Wing Lake Lake, MN
- Hare Lake Lake, MN
- Harris Lake Lake, MN