This little fish lives in Alberta's Milk River, as well as in the backwaters of other large streams in the Mississippi/Missouri River Basin in the United States. The Western silvery minnow prefers the backwaters and pools of larger, northern streams where the bottom is not covered by silt and the water is fairly quiet and rich with phytoplankton. Spawning occurs in more heavily vegetated backwaters.

The Western silvery minnow has an elongated body with a stout narrow section just before the tail. Its head is short, blunt and triangular, with a rounded snout that hangs over its mouth. Its single dorsal fin has eight rays; its pelvic fins have seven or eight rays as well. The anal fin occasionally has nine rays instead of the usual eight. The caudal fin is forked. Pectoral fins are relatively short with 15 or 16 rays. Apart from spawning males, which are light yellow along the sides and lower fins, this fish is otherwise silvery in colour with a broad, slaty mid-dorsal stripe.