The golden shiner is present throughout New York. Young golden shiners are silvery with a dusky band along the side. This band fades with age as the fish takes on a golden color. Both young and adult fish show schooling behavior. Golden shiners spawn over an extended period from May to July.
Females deposit adhesive eggs over filamentous algae and submerged weed beds.
After spawning, the eggs are abandoned. Adults are usually less than 6 inches long. Golden shiners feed on planktonic crustaceans, aquatic insects, and algae. They are important forage fish for more popular game fish and are often stocked in farm ponds in combination with largemouth bass. Golden shiners are used extensively as bait.