Identification
The mouth faces downward beneath the snout and has fleshy lips. The lower lip’s central cleft is shallow, leaving its left and right portions connected. That bridge is the feature behind the common name.
Size and Weight
A museum account reports growth to about 18 inches, roughly 45.7 cm, and cites a Washington record weight of 3.06 pounds, about 1.39 kg. The length convention is unspecified. These reports exceed the 30 cm total-length limit in an older species summary; the weight is a cited catch record rather than a proven biological ceiling.
Habitat and Natural Food
The fish occurs in rivers and streams, with records also from lake margins. Idaho biologists describe a largely herbivorous diet based on algae scraped from rocks, with some aquatic invertebrates. Its feeding should not be portrayed as indiscriminate scavenging.
Reproduction and Fisheries Research
Mature males develop small breeding tubercles on the anal and lower tail fin. Population studies use measurements and aging structures to understand growth and fishery interactions. The existence of such sampling does not establish a recreational bait recommendation, which was not verified here.
Look Closely at the Lower Lip
Many suckers have a deeper separation between the two halves of the lower lip. Bridgelip Sucker retains a connecting section. This small anatomical feature can help separate otherwise similar bottom-feeding fishes.
All Lakes With Bridgelip Sucker
Browse all lakes and reservoirs with confirmed Bridgelip Sucker records in our database, listed alphabetically.
Showing 1–24 of 30 lakes · Page 1 of 2
- Black Canyon Reservoir Gem, ID
- Bybee Reservoir Owyhee, ID
- Caldwell Rotary Pond Canyon, ID
- Cedar Creek Reservoir Twin Falls, ID
- Crane Creek Reservoir Washington, ID
- Dog Creek Reservoir Gooding, ID
- Fish Creek Reservoir Blaine, ID
- Haystack Reservoir Jefferson, OR
- Lake Billy Chinook Jefferson, OR
- Lake Cascade Valley, ID
- Lake Chelan Chelan, WA
- Lake Simtustus Jefferson, OR
- Little Blue Creek Reservoir Owyhee, ID
- Little Blue Table Reservoir Owyhee, ID
- Little Wood River Reservoir Blaine, ID
- Lost Valley Reservoir Adams, ID
- Lucky Peak Lake Ada, ID
- Magic Reservoir Blaine, ID
- Mann Creek Reservoir Washington, ID
- Oxbow Reservoir Adams, ID
- Payette Lake Valley, ID
- Payne Creek Reservoir Owyhee, ID
- Prineville Reservoir Crook, OR
- Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir Twin Falls, ID