Rare Michigan Fish Makes Stunning 100-Year Comeback

I’ve been fishing Michigan waters my whole life, and I’d never even heard of a greenside darter. Maybe that’s because they hadn’t been spotted in one of Michigan’s rivers for more than 100 years.

What Is a Greenside Darter?

Aside from making a tasty snack for a blue heron, a greenside darter is a fish you don’t come across every day. This small, colorful freshwater fish is part of the perch family and typically lives in swift-moving, rocky streams and rivers.

Greenside darters have a mix of olive, yellow, and yellow-green coloring along their backs and sides. They’re usually pretty small, growing to about 2.5 to 4.5 inches long, although some can reach 5.5 to 7 inches in length.

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Greenside darters are especially sensitive to pollution and silt, and they simply can’t survive in dirty water. This sensitivity is one reason they disappeared from many Michigan rivers and streams over the years.

Anglers aren’t out there targeting greenside darters, but smallmouth bass and trout certainly don’t mind finding them on the menu. For these game fish, a greenside darter can make for a pretty tasty meal.

Greenside Darters: A Fish Most Michigan Anglers Have Never Seen

The greenside darter hadn’t been seen in Detroit’s Rouge River for more than 100 years, likely because of heavy pollution. But after decades of cleanup and restoration efforts, these tiny fish are making a comeback, and that’s pretty exciting news for environmentalists.

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According to WXYZ 7, the Friends of the Rouge recently netted six greenside darters in the Rouge River. It was an exciting moment for the environmental group and a promising sign that years of cleanup and restoration efforts are paying off.

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