Cutthroat Trout

	Scientific Name	Oncorhynchus Clarki
	Other Names	Coastal Cutthroat, Yellowstone Cutthroat, Red-Throated Trout, Clark's Trout, Lake Trout, Sea Trout, Short-Tailed Trout
	World Record	41lb

Description

Cutthroat have ablunt head a long jaw that extends past eye.
Small black spots on head & body extending well below lateral line, and on all fins. Red to yellow streaks on underside of jaw. Faint to no red on sides of spawning fish and can grow up to 30 inches in length.

Habitat

Cutthroat trout can inhabit a number of different cold water environments, from near-shore salt water to freshwater tributaries, inland lakes, rivers, streams and bog ponds. Coastal cutthroat inhabit areas relatively close to shore prior to the spawning migration, during which they are found in the stream, rivers and lakes (if accessible) where they were born. Inland cutthroats are found in large lakes and rivers, mountain streams and ponds, and some headwater tributaries, where they may coexist with resident coastal cutthroat. Inland cutthroats are more vulnerable to stream warming, situation, pollution and other forms of habitat alteration than other trout species.

Feeding Habit

Cutthroats mostly consume a variety of aquatic, general insects, crustaceans and small fish, whichever is prevalent and available in a given stream, river, lake or pond. They will often hide in available cover like sunken logs, lily pads or coarse rubble and ambush insects and bait fish before swimming back to the security of cover. This is especially true when rainbow or brown trout push cutthroats away from feeding grounds along current edges.

Age and Growth

Fish mature at 5 to 7 years and live to be 9 to 10 years old. Resident coastal cutthroat remain in fresh water after emergence and live in streams,ponds, lough's, and lakes. In lakes, smaller cutthroat hide among lily pads, sunken logs, or rubble from which they dart out and seize insects and small fish. Some fish abandon this feeding strategy when they reach about 14 inches and become cruisers, pursuing and eating other fish. Cutthroat that adapt this feeding strategy can grow from 24 to 28 inches, weigh 8 pounds, and live to be over 12 years old. These trophy-class cutthroat are always found in large landlocked lakes.

Tackle and Methods

cutthroat can be caught in fresh water during fall when they inhabit inland tributaries, over the winter and during the spring spawning phase. Spinners, spoons, wet, dry and streamer flies, and live baits should be cast into deep pools of rivers and streams. Landlocked subspecies can be caught in steep ridges in large lakes, deep pools of large rivers, or along steep shorelines in smaller lakes or ponds. Trolling spoons and large spinners work well in this case. A number of fishing methods will work for cutthroat trout; in general, they all involve relatively light tackle. For inland streams, rivers and ponds, casting a variety of flies, small spoons and spinners to isolated cover near current will result in many strikes in spring, fall and winter. Small minnows and worms also work well. During the hotter summer months, fish will often move to deeper water but return to shallow cover in early morning and late evening.

Related Species

Listed below are similar related species that customers have searched.

	Brooke Trout		Rainbow Trout
	Brown Trout		Sea Trout
	Bull Trout		Steelhead Trout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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