What do we have here?

Gotta be a Goldeye.  Put a hook through it and catch another slimer.

Quite similar, though.  Now that I look.

gold eye

Really goldeye? Looking at it it never crossed my mind it could be that looking at the pic now maybe but it did have more of a downward reaching mouth. It really looked like pics I have seen of types of shad but never actually seen them come out of the lake up here. Actually now that I think about it the entire top of it was digested basically leaving the backbone exposed where the dorsal fin used to be and it did cover most of the top. Strange how the fins dissolve first.

I think the lateral line is a pretty good indication of a goldeye.  Lateral line on the drum is significantly higher.

Ahh good thinkin. I guess I'm kinda hung up on the seemingly downward sloping head but the digestion coulda clipped off the nose I guess.

looks like a golden shiner to me.

Was it silver or gold? golden shiners are as gold as your wedding ring, they're actually really neat looking..

It was silver/white.

Could possibly be a cisco. Where did you catch the fish?

swift Said:





looks like a golden shiner to me.

In the spring in minnesota baitshops we get silver ones that we call lake shiners. Where was this northern caught? I've never seen any shiners in north dakota lakes before.

Kind of looks like a shad.

What lake did you catch the fish in?

Sakakawea-west end

I have found several species of shiners here in sakakawea, darling, and all of the surrounding sloughs & streams.  I have caught thousands of common, spot tail, emerald, and golden shiners in traps and on hook & line while trying to get creek chubs.  also a few species of darters, dace & other minnows.

My guess from the silver color, the large scales, and how common they are its a goldeye, not elongate enough for a cisco.  did you look close enough to see teeth?  goldeyes have some nasty lil chompers, but probably tough to see on a goldy that small.  shiners, ciscos, & other cyprinids (minnows & carp like fish) have no easily visible teeth.

 Looks like a Gizzard Shad to me.

scales are too big to be a shad.

Yea i would say the shape would be perfect for gizzard shad, it's just the scales, I dont know of anything that has that size of scales other than a goldeye or shiner or carp. I have seen tons of goldeyes of all sizes and and it didnt even cross my mind at first that it could be that but with digestion and deterioration I think the soft parts and more exposed parts of the fish dissolved first (fins and mouth) changing the shape enough to make it look a bit off. Goldeye is probably the right answer.