In South Dakota's glacial lakes lacking gizzard shad, what food sources do white bass diets shift toward?

Larval insects, aquatic crustaceans, and crayfish.

A key indicator of the white bass's evolutionary adaptability is its dietary plasticity when preferred prey is scarce, demonstrating a willingness to exploit locally available resources. In systems like South Dakota’s glacial lakes, where the preferred forage fish, gizzard shad, is absent, the species demonstrates a significant shift in feeding habits. Their diet adjusts to rely heavily on alternative, less energy-dense but locally abundant food items. These alternative sources include various forms of invertebrate life such as larval insects, aquatic crustaceans, and even crayfish, showing they can successfully hunt a variety of prey to sustain their high-growth strategy outside of ideal reservoir conditions.