The Steelcolor Shiner is found across the eastern central United States from Oklahoma to Ohio including the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages as well as the upper Black Warrior River system (Mobile Basin). They are found in rocky and sandy pools of creeks to medium rivers. Like other members of its genus, Steelcolor Shiners have diamond-shaped scales and spawn in crevices. They can be distinguished from the similar Spotfin Shiner (C. spiloptera) by the position of the lateral stripe and dorsal fin pigmentation.