Golden shiners are common across the U.S. but are more prevalent east of the Mississippi River. They prefer calm, clear, vegetated backwaters of lakes and rivers, but occupy a wide variety of habitats, including springs. Golden shiners can be found in quiet waters and are therefore found in lakes, ponds, sloughs, and the least disturbed parts of rivers. They are tolerant of pollution, turbidity, and low oxygen content, but their most fascinating adaptation is their tolerance for unusually high temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F), the highest for North American minnows.