Species profile
Bull Trout
Salvelinus confluentus
At a glance
Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is an IUCN Vulnerable bony-fish species regulated in 11 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (British Columbia); the most generous is 10 (Alaska).
Across 4 jurisdictions with stated minimum sizes, the average minimum is 19.4 in (≈ 1 ft 7 in).
Confirmed by 611 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with British Columbia, Alberta, and Idaho the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Listed under SARA — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Notable details
- Requires water below 55°F (13°C) — among the coldest thermal requirements of any salmonid.
- Listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1998.
- Technically a char, more closely related to brook trout and lake trout than to true trout.
- Lake-dwelling adults can exceed 20 pounds; stream fish typically stay under 5.
- Spawns in fall over clean gravel in cold headwater streams.
Where Bull Trout are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Bull Trout
Protected status
- SARA Schedule 1 (threatened): Bull Trout. Canadian populations — harm/harvest prohibited under SARA s.32-33.
- SARA Schedule 1 (special concern): Bull Trout. Canadian populations — harm/harvest prohibited under SARA s.32-33.
- SARA Schedule 1 (special concern): Bull Trout. Canadian populations — harm/harvest prohibited under SARA s.32-33.
Always verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Background
The bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a char of the family Salmonidae native to northwestern North America. Historically, S. confluentus has been known as the "Dolly Varden" (S. malma), but was reclassified as a separate species in 1980. Bull trout are listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (1998) and as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Bull Trout article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.