Species profile
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
At a glance
Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 58 of 65 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (British Columbia); the most generous is 300 (Alaska).
Across 32 jurisdictions with stated minimum sizes, the average minimum is 13.3 in (≈ 1 ft 1 in).
Confirmed by 17,616 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Oregon, and British Columbia the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and SARA — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Notable details
- The sea-run form, called steelhead, can weigh over 20 pounds.
- Native to cold Pacific-draining rivers from Alaska to northern Mexico.
- The most widely introduced freshwater sport fish in the world.
- Can live up to 11 years in the wild.
- Steelhead may migrate hundreds of miles upstream to spawn in their birth stream.
Where Rainbow Trout are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Rainbow Trout
Protected status
- Steelhead — 2 DPS endangered.
- Steelhead — 9 DPS threatened.
- SARA Schedule 1 (endangered): Rainbow Trout / Steelhead. 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 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a trout and species of salmonid native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coastal rainbow trout (O. m. irideus) or Columbia River redband trout (O. m. gairdneri) that usually returns to fresh water to spawn after living two to…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Rainbow Trout article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: (c) Bruce Deagle, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bruce Deagle. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.