How to catch Three-spined stickleback
Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758
About Three-spined stickleback fishing
The three-spined stickleback is a small, slender fish belonging to the family Gasterosteidae, typically reaching a common length of around five centimetres and a maximum length of eleven centimetres in marine environments. It features a laterally compressed, fusiform body protected by a variable series of bony lateral plates instead of traditional scales, accompanied by three sharp, lockable dorsal spines that deter predators. Its coloration is generally drab olive or silvery green above with silvery flanks, while breeding males develop striking blue eyes and a vibrant red throat and belly. This species is widely distributed across northern freshwater, brackish, and coastal marine habitats, often inhabiting shallow, slow-flowing, vegetated areas over mud or sand. It forms shoals outside the breeding season, feeds on a diverse diet of small aquatic invertebrates, insects, and crustaceans, and exhibits complex reproductive behavior where males construct and guard plant material nests.
-
Difficulty
Medium
-
Average size
5.1 cm TL
-
Habitat
Freshwater, Brackish, Saltwater
-
Season
Spring, Summer, Autumn
-
Also known as
Banstickle, Barnstickle, Barnystickle, Barnytickle, Branchy, Branstickle
Truncate Caudal Fin
Caudal shape is more or less truncate, distinguishing it from deeply forked tails.
Terminal Mouth
Mouth position is terminal at the front of the snout.
Isolated Dorsal Spines
Three sharp, free spines stand isolated before the main dorsal fin.
Thoracic Pelvic Spine
Pelvic-fin position is thoracic, reduced to a single sharp spine and small ray.
Three-spined stickleback fishing facts
Characteristics
-
Typical size
5.1 cm TL (max 11 cm TL ) -
Typical weight
0.2 kg (max 0 kg ) -
Preferred temperature
2–13.5 °C -
Depth
0–100 m -
Longevity
8 years -
Body shape
Fusiform / Normal -
Vulnerability score
10
Best hours
-
Low
Dawn
First light
-
Peak
Morning
After sunrise
-
Active
Midday
High sun
-
Peak
Afternoon
Late day
-
Low
Dusk
Last light
-
Low
Night
After dark
When to fish for Three-spined stickleback
How to catch Three-spined stickleback
Tips for catching Three-spined stickleback
Although typically viewed as a non-game species, three-spined sticklebacks can be easily targeted by young or curious anglers using ultra-light tackle in shallow, slow-moving streams, drainage ditches, and margins of vegetated ponds. The most effective approach involves using a delicate pole or light float rod equipped with micro tackle, such as a tiny fine-wire hook baited with a tiny fragment of a redworm or a single bloodworm. Fish close to emergent marginal weeds or submerged vegetation where these fish congregate in shoals during their active spring and summer feeding window. Presentation should be extremely subtle with minimal shot on the line, allowing the bait to suspend naturally near the bottom or among weed stems where the fish actively hunt for small aquatic invertebrates and micro-crustaceans.
Other names for Three-spined stickleback
Local and alternate names anglers use for Three-spined stickleback.
-
New York stickleback
-
Pinfish
-
Spannytickle
-
Jacksharp
-
Saw-finned stickleback
-
Spannistickle
-
Common stickleback
-
Prickly back
-
Branstickle
-
Burnstickle
-
Branchy
-
Barnytickle
-
Barnystickle
-
Prickley
-
Cushy
-
Prickly
-
Doctor
-
Santa Ana stickleback
How Three-spined stickleback migrates — Anadromous
Grows at sea and swims into rivers to spawn. Target the run as fish leave the ocean and push upstream.
1 Eggs
Fresh water
Laid in fresh water, usually well up the river.
2 Juveniles
→ Sea
Grow in the river, then head downstream to the sea.
3 Adults
Sea
Feed and grow at sea.
4 Spawners
→ Fresh water
Run back up the river to spawn.
Some populations never go to sea and complete the cycle in rivers and lakes.
Hover or tap a number to read each stage.
Diet and behavior of Three-spined stickleback
-
Diet
Carnivore -
Feeds by
Hunts animals -
Hunts
Morning · Afternoon -
Feeds over
Soft bottom · Vegetation -
Main prey
Baitfish
Prey and predators of Three-spined stickleback
Prey is what Three-spined stickleback eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.
That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.
Prey
What it eats
Baitfish
Predators
What hunts it
Where Three-spined stickleback lives
Lives near the bottom but swims in the water just above it. Cover the lower column, not only the mud.
0–100 m
River mouth
Where this species lives
Three-spined stickleback photos for identification
Compare these photos with the catalog plate to identify the species.