Golden Trout

At a glance

Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) is a bony-fish species regulated in 5 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

The strictest bag limit is 1 (Colorado); the most generous is 10 (Alberta).

Confirmed by 415 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Alberta, and Wyoming the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• The golden trout is California's official state freshwater fish, designated in 1947.
• They are native only to the South Fork Kern River drainage in the Sierra Nevada, living above roughly 6,900 feet elevation.
• Their vivid gold flanks, crimson lateral stripe, and spotted fins make them among the most colorful freshwater fish in North America.
• Wild golden trout rarely exceed 10 inches because cold, nutrient-poor high-altitude streams severely limit growth.
• They readily hybridize with rainbow trout, which threatens genetically pure populations throughout their native range.

Where Golden Trout are seen

• California375 iNat obs
• Alberta15 iNat obs
• Wyoming13 iNat obs
• Montana5 iNat obs
• Colorado4 iNat obs
• Idaho2 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Golden Trout

• AlbertaCanada · official source
• ColoradoUnited States · official source
• WyomingUnited States · official source

Background

The California golden trout, or simply the golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), is a subspecies of the rainbow trout native to California. The golden trout is native to Golden Trout Creek (tributary to the Kern River), Volcano Creek (tributary to Golden Trout Creek), and the South Fork Kern River. It is the state fish of California.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Golden Trout article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• European CarpCyprinus carpio
• GoldfishCarassius auratus
• Brown TroutSalmo trutta