While leathersides inhabit a number of Wyoming waters, they are not common. In fact, they have become rare in the Bear River. These four-inch natives are beautiful, and make excellent bait when plentiful enough to be used as such. The spottail shiner has a distinct black spot at the base of its tail fin-thus the name. It also has a stout body, large eyes, and a medium-sized mouth.
Most specimens are dusky or green on top, silvery below, and between three and four inches long.
These minnows are widely distributed in central and eastern Canada and in the Lake States. They were brought to Wyoming in the late 1970s to provide forage for gamefish in Keyhole Reservoir. The walleyes, pike, perch, and bass thrived on them, so they were introduced to Boysen Lake and all the reservoirs on the North Platte River. Today, walleyes in most of those waters are dependent, at least seasonally, on shiners. If it weren't for the spottails, Wyoming' s warmwater fishing would not be as good as it is.