08/31/2026
With its cool, clear waters, the Cheoah River is a great snorkeling destination. Snorkler Barry Stiles shared this glimpse of a male Spotfin Chub flashing blue, with three females swimming by and behind him. As a "local range endemic," Spotfin Chubs evolved in the Tennessee River watershed, and to this day cannot be found in any other waters in the world!
This shiny blue fish has become rare or even extinct in parts of its very small range due to the impacts that poorly planned development and the loss of native plant life have on our waterways. Like many of our mountain fish, Spotfin Chubs need clean water and rocky riverbeds in order to reproduce. When silt clouds the water, Spotfin Chubs cannot see the insects they prey upon and their breathing becomes labored. If sediment covers the rocks in the riverbed, the fish cannot conceal their eggs from predators. The Spotfin Chub has been classified as a threatened species since 1977 due to its limited range and sensitivity to environmental changes.
