game fish

noun

1

: a fish of a family (Salmonidae) including salmons, trouts, chars, and whitefishes

2

: sport fish

especially : a fish made a legal catch by law

Examples of game fish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fish were illegally introduced in the 1970s, so the agency encourages anglers to pursue the game fish and keep their catches. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026

Erecting fish barriers at the entrances of reservoirs would prevent game fish from sneaking into critical habitats during times of flood. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2026

Until fairly recently, these toothy critters were vilified by anglers as a trash fish that ate more desirable game fish like bass and crappie. — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 7 May 2026

The group is most interested in the latter as game fish that can be caught and released. — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for game fish

• cuttlefish
• jellyfish
• sablefish
• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish

Kids Definition

game fish

noun

: a fish regularly sought by anglers