[3] The creek chubsucker is typically found in vegetated rocky riffle areas, runs, and pools of clear freshwater.

[4] During breeding, the males grow horn-like tubercles, become more brightly colored, and are territorial of gravel substrates in shallow water areas.

[3] It is believed that the creek chubsucker and other members of the family Catostomidae diverged from minnows (Cyprinidae) at least fifty million years ago.

As of 2004[update], the conservation status of creek chubsucker was of least concern, but the species is still adversely affected by anthropogenic factors such as dams, pollution, and over siltation.

All but two species are endemic to North America,[5] and creek chubsuckers can be found in many of the freshwater tributaries of the Atlantic slope streams from Maine to Altamaha drainage of Georgia; Gulf slope streams east to Escambia River drainage, Alabama (single population), west to San Jacinto system Texas, Mississippi Valley in Louisiana, Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma, upland Missouri, Mississippi, west Tennessee, West Kentucky, and south of the Great Lakes drainage in southern tributaries to lakes Michigan, Erie, and Ontario.

[9] There is a disjunction between the eastern and western populations with no records of the species being present in the waterways from Florida northward along the Appalachian Mountain corridor.

[7] The creek chubsucker shares habitat with and requires similar spawning sites as white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) and northern hogsuckers (Hypentelium nigracans).

In contrast to most species of suckers, creek chubsuckers frequently engage in trio spawning involving two males on either side of one female.

Because of its wide range, the creek chubsucker is native to many areas that fall inside the boundaries of protected national and state parks, and this will hopefully ensure its existence for future generations.

[17] More measures like water and sediment sampling as well as mark and recapture techniques should be put into place to compile data on creek chubsucker population levels and health.

Periodic, random electroshocking and seining would be ideal for conducting mark and recapture surveys in low order streams.

Dams may also pose a problem by not allowing the fish to access areas used for breeding, but little information exists on their effects on the creek chubsucker.