They can also live in streams as small as three meters to as large as one hundred meters wide. Adult males remain in fast flowing, large, rocky riffles during the winter and after the reproductive period. Adult females like the same habitat as males in the winter. However, before and after the spawning periods, females and young are found in raceways and pools. The young will also stay in the raceways and pools during the winter.
Banded darters prefer clear, swift flowing streams with gravel, sand, or rubble.
They prefer depths from three to four and a half feet. The banded darter has been found in small streams in southern Wisconsin. Before collecting the fish, I obtained a special permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to obtain, transport and possess the fish for study. I hypothesized the gravel chub would prefer the wing dam over the box dam and the rock pile because I collected them from a habitat which appeared very similar. I thought the wing dam's deflecting flow would help the gravel chub not waste as much energy trying to stay in one spot.