The Shortjaw Cisco has a widespread distribution in Canada ranging from the Laurentian Great Lakes throughout central Canada to the Northwest Territories. In the Great Lakes, it is currently found in lakes Superior and Nipigon and has recently been reported from Lake Huron. It is believed to be extirpated from lakes Michigan and Erie, and is in serious decline in lakes Superior and Huron. Lake Nipigon populations have also been reduced but appear to be stable. The Shortjaw Cisco generally inhabits deep waters between 55 and 180 m of large lakes.

The Shortjaw Cisco is silver in colour with olive or tan on the back and white on the stomach. It has an elliptically shaped body that is laterally compressed and covered with large, smooth scales. The mouth is small and toothless and the lower jaw is usually shorter than or even with the upper jaw. Gill rakers number between 32 and 46 (comblike structure on the inner surface of the bony arch supporting the gill). The maximum length is highly variable, ranging from 400 mm to less than 100 mm. The Shortjaw Cisco's weight is generally less than 300 g, although exceptionally large specimens can reach 1 kg. Its lifespan is generally between 10 and 13 years but may be as short as three.