Identity
Bairdiella is also the name of a genus containing several species. This page covers Bairdiella icistia specifically, so information about Atlantic Bairdiella species is not interchangeable. The name Ronco Croaker can help locate the correct eastern Pacific fish.
Size and Weight
The reported maximum total length is 30 cm, approximately 11.8 inches. A common length is 20 cm, or 7.9 inches. A trustworthy maximum weight was not verified; a predicted weight from a length equation is not used as a record.
Habitat and Natural Food
Coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths provide habitat. Small fishes and crustaceans, including shrimp, are documented foods. Its native coastal ecology should be distinguished from the unusual conditions of an introduced inland population.
Introduction History
The fish was introduced to California’s Salton Sea. Historical introduction and fishery records do not establish that it remains available to anglers there today, particularly after major ecological changes. No present-day featured-water recommendation is inferred from that history.
From the Coast to a Saline Inland Sea
The Salton Sea introduction placed this coastal fish in a very different setting. That history is useful context, but an old stocking or catch record is not a current population assessment. Water listings need to retain that distinction.
All Lakes With Bairdiella
Browse lakes and reservoirs with documented Bairdiella records, listed alphabetically. Records do not establish current abundance or public access. Check the evidence and managing authority for the water you choose.
No published lakes are currently linked to this species in our confirmed records.