Common to the swift riffles and runs of Ohio's larger rivers and streams, the River Chub is still relatively common to those eastern Ohio rivers unaffected by siltation, acid mine drainage, and other forms of pollution. The River Chub is the largest of Ohio's chubs attaining lengths of 12 inches on occasion. They are sometimes caught by the live bait fisherman. They prefer substrates containing large amounts of gravel and cobble. These chubs are often found hiding around boulders, submerged logs and other structure on riffles and runs.
River chubs spawn on gravel riffles where they construct large circular nests.
The nests are occasionally four feet long and are often used for spawning by other species as well. The River Chub, when present, is a good indicator of water quality due to their intolerance of pollution and siltation. Many populations, particularly in western Ohio, have been extirpated as a consequence of increased water turbidities and habitat siltation resulting from point and non-point pollution problems. Acid mine drainage remains a threat to populations in the coal region of eastern Ohio.